


Drink up, Goddess!

by WhoAskedYou



Category: Naruto, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23440957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoAskedYou/pseuds/WhoAskedYou
Summary: Team 7 had done it. They were able to begin the sealing of Kaguya. She had other plans though, and attempted a last-ditch effort to prevent their victory. Now, Naruto and Kurama are stuck in a world that isn't theirs. A world filled with monsters and mythical beings. As far as Naruto is concerned, however, the only things he should be focusing on are his bar and his personal stalker. Oh, and these weird homeless kids.
Relationships: Artemis (Percy Jackson)/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

Pain.

Naruto felt like his entire body was being doused in hellfire. He could barely think, and his body would not respond to this will.

" **Hang in there, Naruto!** " Kurama screamed within Naruto's seal, but he couldn't hear him. Naruto couldn't feel anything at all.

"Ku..rama." Naruto breathed out. All he saw was darkness. Pitch black enveloped his surroundings and shadowy tendrils were flickering across his skin, almost as if trying to consume him. They would've succeeded if not for the golden chakra that covered his body.

" **We're almost there, Naruto. Don't die on me!** "

Kurama had been tapping into his near-infinite reserves to shield Naruto from this empty expanse of death for a while now. After Kaguya was caught by the deadly teamwork of Team 7 and was in the process of being sealed, she had used up all of her remaining chakra to suck in anything and everything around her in a last attempt to keep chakra for herself. The 8 other tailed-beasts had not stayed idle, however, and fought her for control over the manipulation of chakra.

The result of the imbalance of energy and the nature of the technique she had used was the implosion of the space around them towards her. Uchiha Sasuke tried to use his Rinne-Sharingan to open a portal to their dimension, but Naruto had been too close to Kaguya and was caught in the vacuum created by the botched technique.

Kurama was able to activate Naruto's chakra cloak as Naruto was knocked unconscious by the ridiculous amount of energy he was exposed to point-blank, but even with his near-infinite chakra reserves, he was uncertain if the both of them would be able to survive in this hell.

Fortunately, Kurama had felt a hole, tiny as it was. Seeing as how it might be their only chance of escaping, he began to force his chakra through the hole. Bit by bit, the hole became bigger, but with the amount of chakra Kurama was expending, the chakra cloak was starting to fade away, exposing Naruto to the chaos he had been staving off.

" **Naruto, listen to me! You have to help me if you want to escape this place!** " Kurama jolted Naruto awake. He couldn't open the hole long enough for them to pass through. He needed Naruto to help concentrate both their chakras to pierce through the hole.

"I'm… trying!" Naruto began focusing his chakra to form the technique that had helped him throughout the years. He began rapidly rotating the chakra he had gathered his hands in all directions. "Here it goes… Kurama!"

Naruto thrust his hand towards the direction Kurama's chakra was flowing through, and the next thing he felt was the wind. He was now falling.

"Ah shiiiiiiiiit!/ **Brace** **yourself, Naruto!** " Naruto's cloak had faded as Kurama's energy was nearly spent, which meant Naruto couldn't float in the air. Naruto did as Kurama said and shielded his head and torso with his arms and legs.

* * *

Owen Reeves was not having a wonderful day. He had thought that once he reaches the age of 60, he'd be retired and surrounded by grandchildren. Sadly, he was 28 when his son had died before even reaching adulthood, and his wife died heartbroken three years later. Owen then became reclusive and anti-social. He began focusing on tending to his bar, The Blank. His wife had established the bar, but they were supposed to come up with a name for it along with their son when he reaches the age of 12, but fate had not been kind.

"Oh Evie, what am I supposed to do now?" He whispered.

For 32 years, he ran the bar. It was never a popular bar, only getting enough customers for Owen to be able to pay the fees to continue the business, but it was his life. Today was his 60th birthday, and he decided to take the day-off to relax and reflect on the past few years by going hiking in the nearby mountains of Adirondack.

He was old and unable to keep running the bar by himself. He didn't have the funds to hire employees and even if he did, no one who was qualified wanted to work in a bar that never gained profit. The time to close the bar down was coming, and yet he couldn't accept that. His wife loved that place, and he couldn't fathom the idea of selling it off.

He was a few miles away from his lodging when suddenly, an explosion deep within the sea of trees caused a tremor that made him lose his footing.

"What in the blazes was that?!" Owen exclaimed loudly. "Was that a bomb or something?"

Owen didn't know what came over him. He was not brave by any means, but in that one moment, he chose to try to find out what the cause of the explosion was.

He began to slowly jog towards the direction of the explosion, cautiously watching his steps.

* * *

If the pain Naruto felt within the void expanse was akin to being burned by the hottest flames in existence, the pain he felt now as he laid in the crater he had caused was more like being crushed under Mount Myōboku. Most of his bones, if not all of them, were broken or fractured. Although they had already begun to heal, thanks to the tailed-beast sealed inside him, everything still hurts.

"We made it, Kurama." Naruto muttered, a small grin appearing on his face despite his current predicament.

" **Damn, kit. Heh, you owe me big after this. I just saved your life from all that.** " Kurama breathed out a sigh of relief as he focused what little remained of his chakra to heal his friend.

"Thanks, furball. Let's discuss the debt I owe you after I recover, ne?" Naruto chuckled. ' _Same old Kurama. Never change, buddy._ '

" **Just rest, kit. I'll do my best to heal you, so stay still and don't make it harder for me."**

"Alright, buddy. I'll just take a nap I guess." Naruto sleepily said, eyes slowly closing from the fatigue. As he lost his awareness of his surroundings, Kurama sensed curiosity and fear from just outside the clearing they were in. Being as protective as he was, he decided to subtly take control of Naruto's body in case the being he sensed proved dangerous to Naruto's well-being.

After a while, an old man entered the clearing, slowly moving towards the crater with cautious steps.

"What in the blazes is this?" Owen muttered. He walked carefully towards the crater, fear already building up in his system. 'T _his was stupid! Stupid Owen! You could've been relaxing on a warm, soft bed by now!_ '

As he came into view of what was inside the crater, Owen gasped.

"A kid? What the hell is a kid doing there?!" Owen immediately went down to help the kid wearing ruined clothes that he had never seen before. ' _Did this kid fall from the sky or something?_ '

When Owen reached the kid, he was shocked by the numerous wounds and bruises littered across his body. "What happened to him?" Owen muttered.

Owen began thinking about who or what did this to the kid. This was abuse at the highest level. ' _And to dump him off in the wilderness? What kind of monster would do such a thing?_ '

Owen was revolted at the thought. Such a young soul hurt and broken by a scum of humanity. At that moment, he didn't just see a kid he didn't know lying in the crater. He saw his son.

His mind already made up, Owen decided to take the kid back to his lodging, and to report to the authorities about what happened.

Owen proceeded to carry the kid, carefully slinging him over his shoulder. It was a good thing Owen had been actively doing physical exercises, so although he was surprised by the weight this kid had, he was able to carry him out of the clearing with more than a bit of effort.

He carried him over to his bed and went out to get medical supplies from the staff, as well as intending to report to the authorities about the incident.

As soon as the old man had left the room, Kurama sighed in relief. While he hadn't felt any malicious intent from the man, he still couldn't be too careful, especially now when Naruto was at his weakest. Still, Naruto's luck was something else. To be found by a good Samaritan after landing in an alien world was sign that the tremendous fortune Kami-sama had given him was still there.

" **You better wake up soon, kit. I'm almost at my limit.** " Kurama said, retreating into Naruto's mindscape to better focus on healing his friend.

* * *

Olympus was in disarray. Zeus had suddenly assembled the Olympian Council without prior notice, and the beings on Olympus were all speculating on what might have been the reason for the emergency meeting.

The throne room was in an even worse state. A few of the gods and goddesses were complaining about the sudden call from the King of the Gods.

Poseidon was restlessly pacing near his throne. "Brother, you better have a good reason why you interrupted my night." Poseidon bellowed, "Winter Solstice hasn't even been a month away and you've already called us into another meeting."

"I was just about to finish my final delivery for today. And 38 minutes ahead of schedule too! Now the deliveries will start piling up again." Hermes cried out, distraught at the fact that his 38 minutes of well-earned relaxation had just slipped out of his grasp, courtesy of his father's emergency meeting.

Apollo placed his hands on Hermes' shoulders and grinned, "I feel you, Hermes. I was just about to enjoy my post daylight relaxation when pops flared out his Bolt! All those precious minutes of clubbing gone."

Artemis rolled her eyes and scoffed at her two brothers and their trivial complaints, _'Boys._ ' Artemis glared softly at Zeus, clearly unhappy that she had to leave her hunters alone and out of her watch. She was still gripping her bow, and her clothes were covered in dirt and mud.

"Father, please tell me there's a good reason for this meeting. My hunters and I were in the middle of hunting a pack of Laistrygonians in South Dakota."

The other gods and goddesses present in the council were unconcerned by the meeting and were just hoping for it to end as soon as possible to get back to whatever they were doing.

" **SILENCE**! Any more complaints and I will punish you lot for daring to act so disrespectfully to me. Now sit." Zeus thundered, violent electric sparks emanating from his being. The useless squabbling was getting on his nerves even faster than usual.

The Olympians proceeded to sit at their respective thrones, and the previous chaos disappeared, obedience replacing it.

Zeus looked at each of the Olympians gravely, he then proceeded to inform the council of the reason behind his sudden emergency call.

"I have sensed a disturbance within my domain. About an hour and a half ago, someone or something entered the skies above New York, one with an extreme amount of energy." Zeus sighed, and looked at Poseidon, "Greater than even my own."

The reaction of the council was explosive. A power greater than Zeus? Is it the Titans? Or maybe something even greater, like Gaea? Everyone became wary as the implications of such an incident became clear to them.

"What do you mean ' _greater than yours_ '?" Poseidon asked, eyes wide in disbelief. "Are you saying someone more powerful than you entered your domain?"

"It was only for almost a second that I felt it before it disappeared!" Zeus glared, and then looked down in embarrassment, "I wasn't able to react to it before it faded from my senses."

Athena stood up and looked to Zeus, "Father. If what you are saying is true, then a great threat to Olympus has appeared." Her eyes filled with determination and more than an ounce of curiosity, as she said, "I suggest we launch a full-scale investigation. All of us. This matter cannot be overlooked."

Zeus contemplated the suggestion for a bit, debating internally if such an incident warranted the attention of all Olympians, and nodded. "So we shall, daughter. I want you all to be vigilant," Zeus glared at all those present, "And if you find something. Anything. You share it with the council. Am I understood?"

The gods and goddesses in attendance all nodded in affirmation to Zeus' order.

Zeus nodded to them, "Good. The energy appeared in the skies of New York. Everyone should start there. You are all dismissed."

Everyone started to get up and flash out of the throne room, when Zeus suddenly called out to Artemis, "Not you, daughter. I have something for you to do."

Artemis raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms, but relented and faced her father, "What is it, father?"

"I want you to be my eyes and ears in New York. Take your hunt there and track down the culprit. I have faith in you, daughter. Don't let me down."

If Artemis was surprised by the order, she didn't show it. She instead nodded and bowed to Zeus, "Yes, father. Will that be all?"

Zeus stared at her for a few seconds before sighing, "Yes. You are dismissed."

Zeus nodded at her and stood up. He raised his Master Bolt high and disappeared in a bolt of lightning, leaving Artemis alone in the throne room.

Artemis sighed. ' _Another mission for dear old papa._ '

She glanced at the hearth of the throne room and waved for a second before flashing out of the throne room to continue her hunt with her huntresses. Trouble was brewing, and Zeus had all but ordered her to stand in the middle of it. For her hunt's sake, and hers, she hoped it wasn't as serious as everyone thought.

* * *

"Hey, kid. You awake yet? You need to eat."

Owen nudged the sleeping Naruto in an attempt to wake him up. He had been sleeping for almost 4 days now, and the lack of nutrition was starting to show.

"Oi, kid. Wake up." Owen was just about to lightly slap Naruto's cheeks when suddenly his eyes flew open.

" _What the?! Where am I? Who are you?_ " Naruto looked around frantically and backed away from Owen, his hands already searching his pockets for a kunai.

"Woah, woah, woah, kid! Calm down, will you? You're still recovering from whatever happened to you." Owen couldn't understand what the kid had just said, but he seems to be panicking, so he proceeded to raise his arms as if to say he's harmless. He looked at Naruto with concern and looked at the plate beside the bed, "You haven't eaten for 4 days. You need to eat if you want to recover."

Naruto couldn't understand a thing the stranger was saying. The language sounded so alien to him. No language in the Elemental Nations sounded like that.

" _What are you saying, old man? I can't understand you. Can't. Understand_." Naruto tried to communicate using his hands, gesturing how he couldn't understand a thing the man was saying. Thankfully, the man had understood, as he also started to communicate with hand gestures.

"Well, crap. The kid doesn't speak English." Owen sighed and pointed at the uneaten food he had prepared for the kid, "Eat. You need to eat." He said while mimicking an eating motion, hoping the kid would understand him.

' _I think he's telling me to eat._ ' Naruto glanced at the plate the old man was pointing to and began to move slowly towards it to pick it up, ' _Oi, Kurama. You there?_ '

As Naruto picked the plate up, he looked at the old man, who was staring at him expectantly, "Well? Are you going to eat up now?"

" _I guess I should eat. I am pretty hungry._ " Naruto inspected the food for a moment before devouring it all with such fervor that even the old man watching him was taken aback.

"Woah, slow down kid! You'll choke if you keep eating like that." Owen said, chuckling at the sight. ' _I guess it's good that he's eating as much as he is, even after 4 days of no food._ '

He patted Naruto's back as he continued to eat like a man possessed, "Now I know you can't understand me, but we should really do something about this language barrier." Owen said softly.

" _Ah. That's a lot better. I'm still hungry, though._ "Naruto placed the plate down to the nightstand and wiped a few crumbs on his mouth, " _Oi, old man. Who are you and where are we?_ " Naruto said as he looked around the room, gesturing at his surroundings to try to communicate his question.

The room seemed so foreign, though he could see it was a bedroom. The design of the room did not match any of the nations in his world at all. He wanted to know just where he was. Kurama still hadn't replied to his call a few moments earlier, so he guessed he was asleep. ' _Just rest, Kurama. You've saved us, so now it's my turn._ '

"You're wondering where we are? We're in Adirondack, kid." Owen said before he suddenly thought of something and started walking towards the door, "I have an idea. Stay there for a bit, will you?"

As the old man went out the door, Naruto was left alone in the room. He then stood up and stretched for a bit, bones popping as he did so. " _Man, Kurama did a great work with his healing. I should thank him soon._ " Naruto said before trying to start molding his chakra.

He didn't expect the intense pain that followed as soon as he dipped into his reserves.

"Ah, shit! That hurts!" Naruto stumbled down to the floor, clutching his stomach. He felt as if his body was being ripped from the inside. Naruto bit back a scream, and instead curled up into a ball.

"Hey kid, I brought a-" Owen entered the room and saw Naruto on the floor. He immediately closed the door and hurried over to him, "Are you okay, kid?! What's happening?"

Naruto couldn't respond. He was drowning in the pain he was feeling. He gritted his teeth, ' _What the hell is happening to me?! Argh, Kurama! Help me!_ ' Naruto called for Kurama from within his mindscape, but the fox did not wake from his slumber.

Owen panicked and moved to carry Naruto up and said, "I need to get you to a hospital. Your body isn't fine at all." He slung Naruto's arms over his shoulders and made a move towards the door when Naruto stopped him.

" _No. Don't bring me outside. Let me stay here._ " Naruto bit out as he shook his head to convey his disagreement with the man's plan. He fell towards the bed, exhaustion getting the better of him as he fell unconscious as soon as he closed his eyes.

Owen sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He was getting too old for this shit. He glanced at the world map he was holding, and set it down on the nightstand beside the bed. He'll figure out the kid's predicament when he wakes up. For now, he might as well take care of him.

' _God must hate me if he's making my life so crazy. I just want some rest!_ ' Owen sighed again and shook his head.

Tomorrow was going to be something, he just hoped it was better than today.

* * *

Naruto let out a groan as he woke up. He tried to sit up, but his body was still sore. The excruciating pain he felt yesterday had faded into a distinct soreness that seemed to encompass his entire body.

He rubbed his eyes and rolled to his side. He was surprised at the sight in front of him.

The old man from before was lying down on a hastily assembled make-shift bed cushion on the floor. He was asleep. Below the nightstand, a bucket of water half-empty was placed. A damp towel was on the nightstand.

' _He took care of me? Just who is this old man? I should find a way to thank him later, but I need to get out of here._ ' Naruto shakily stood up, his sore muscles screaming at him to just lay down on the bed, but he pushed on and walked towards the door. ' _I never did find out where I landed on. I need to plan out what I should do from here._ '

He looked down and was saw that he was wearing a different set of clothes. ' _The old man must've changed me out of those ruined clothes._ '

He looked over the old man for a moment, debating on whether to wake him up and show his gratitude or not and turned to the door. As he reached for the knob, he was startled by a voice from behind him.

"Leaving already? Man, kids these days. Didn't even thank me for taking care of him these past few days." The old man grumbled as he made to stand up from the floor, scratching his back.

Owen woke up when he felt the shifting of the air in the room. He always was a light sleeper, waking up from even the slightest movement in his room. He was surprised that the kid was already trying to leave. He had taken care of him for 5 days and fully expected the kid to be bedridden for a couple more days. It seems he was wrong, as the kid didn't even look injured in the slightest. Owen assumed that he must have had a couple of broken bones judging from the bruises he saw on his body a few days ago, but now those bruises were nowhere to be found. ' _Interesting. It must've been my imagination. God, I'm old._ '

Naruto and the old man stared at each other for a few seconds before the old man sighed and nodded.

"If you feel like you're fine already, then go ahead. Just be careful." The old man walked to the nightstand and from it, he took out a folded piece of what appeared to be paper.

He handed it to Naruto and said, "This is a map. I hope you know how to use it." He clutched the knob and turned it, opening the door for Naruto.

"I'm not sure if you can understand anything written on it, but you seem to be determined to get out of here. If you ever need my help, just go to that red mark on the map. I'll be there."

Naruto couldn't understand what the old man was saying, but he was given something that looked like a map. He unfolded the map and looked over it once.

Naruto thought to himself, ' _I kind of figured we were not in the Elemental Nations anymore, but this just confirms that theory._ '

Naruto then stood straight and looked into the eyes of the old man. He bowed in gratitude and said, " _Thanks, old man! I'll pay you back someday for this."_

He then went out of the door. Owen sighed for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. Damn him and his bleeding heart. He didn't know why but he couldn't resist taking care of the kid after seeing him in pain. The kid reminded him of his son, god rest his soul. He just hoped the kid was going to be okay.

' _I guess I've done all I could. Now, what do I say to the police when they arrive?' He sighed and closed the door._ ' _Take care, kid._ '

* * *

As soon as Naruto had left the room, he was surprised at his surroundings. The place seemed to be a hotel of some sort and in front of it was a lake. It was still early in the morning and only a few people were walking around. Still, he was thankful that the old man had given him a change of clothing. It helped him attract less attention than he would have if he was still wearing his torn orange jumpsuit.

Naruto stretched his muscles as he walked and as he neared the lake, he took out the map that he had received from the old man.

' _Let's see._ ' Naruto hummed and tried to figure out where he was on the map. ' _The shape of this lake here matches the one in front of me, so I guess I'm right here._ '

He pointed at the spot of the map he assumed he was in and carefully let out a small burst of chakra. He prepared for a bit of pain, but it didn't come. A mark appeared on the spot he was touching.

' _Huh. No pain? I guess I'm recovering already. Better not push myself too much, though._ ' He thought, surprised at the lack of pain when he channeled a small amount of chakra.

' _I need to find out more information about this place. If I had my shadow clones, this would've been easy._ ' Naruto sighed. It seems he would have to gather information the hard way. _'Let's get started, then._ '

Naruto ran towards the forest in the direction of the city. He couldn't move as fast as he could have with chakra, but he was still moving faster than most bikes. He leaped from tree to tree, an act that reminded him of the forests surrounding Konohagakure.

' _Focus, Naruto. You'll find your way back. Believe it!_ ' Naruto thought, determination clear in his eyes. He never gave up. He'll find a way out of this world and get back home to Sakura and the others. ' _I just hope they were able to free everyone from the Infinite Tsukuyomi._ '

He'd find out more about this world and find a way to get back home. He promised this to himself. He never breaks his promises.

* * *

Naruto was an excitable child. He was easily amazed by the feats of greatness performed by great shinobi. He was not prepared for what he saw when he reached the city.

Giant metal towers not unlike the ones in Amegakure no Sato filled his sights. Moving mechanical contraptions sped about on roads at speeds faster than most Shinobi on a light jog. There were so many people walking on the sidewalks that it made Konoha seem like a small town instead of a city.

Naruto was speechless. This world was vastly different from his. Since he couldn't use much of his abilities, he didn't know if the people had chakra like he did. He looked around as he walked, occasionally bumping on a few people accidentally. He was quick to offer his apologies, but he doubted they understood him. He should really get out of the streets.

He entered a building that looked like a temple right across the street he was in. He couldn't read what the building was, but judging by the amount of people old and young entering the building with books, he assumed it was a library.

As he entered, he gasped. He was correct on his assumption of the building being a library, but the scale of this was impressive. He had been to the Konoha Library a few times, but that paled in comparison to this.

He grinned. ' _Just my luck. This is exactly what I needed!_ ' He had accidentally found a big source of information. His grin fell when it dawned on him that he had to read books without his shadow clones. ' _Ugh. This is going to be painful._ '

Only an hour of reading in and Naruto was ready to stab himself. He hated reading. He was a man of action, not words, and sitting still wasn't his style. Even so, Naruto had learned a few things from the children's books about the English alphabet. It was a sophisticated book with small buttons that played the pronunciation of the letter it was assigned to. He was focusing on learning the language of the strange land he was in and decided to start at the very beginning.

"Ah. Eh. Ih. Oh. Ooh. Vowels." Naruto muttered. "Bee. See. Dee…"

He had been repeating the letters for a while now, ensuring that he got it down properly before moving on to more complex subjects. He would press a button, listen to the sound, and repeat after it as accurately as he can.

Another hour had passed and he was on the verge of calling it quits. ' _I can't take this anymore! I need my shadow clones!_ ' He mentally shouted.

Naruto sat up and looked around. He couldn't try the Shadow Clone Technique with so many people around, so he stood up and searched for a place away from the eyes of others. He found a door that led to a restroom and entered it. He sighed in relief when he saw that there were no people inside.

He double-checked the cubicles for people and when it seemed that the restroom was truly empty, he readied himself to mold chakra for the technique.

He crossed his fingers and called out, " _Shadow Clone Technique!_ "

Two puffs of smoke on both sides of Naruto signaled the success of the technique and two clones were formed. Naruto smiled, " _Yatta! I did it!_ " He jumped for joy, happy that he was able to make the technique work.

Naruto faced his clones and said, " _Alright, guys. You know the drill. Learn the language, gather information, and dispel._ " He then looked thoughtful for a moment before adding, " _And Transform into different people. We wouldn't want people to see three of us now, would we?_ " They laughed and the two clones performed the Transformation Technique, transforming into two forgettable people. They then proceeded to return to the Library, with Naruto going back to his seat.

' _Now that I have shadow clones to do my job for me, I'll just take a short nap_.'

* * *

After the emergency meeting in Olympus, Artemis had returned to the hunt to finish tracking the Laistrygonians. Her hunters had asked her about her sudden disappearance, but she refrained from telling them about it.

' _It would do them no good if they found out that a threat which might be bigger than Typhon has appeared right at Olympus' doorsteps._ ' She sighed. Even she was a bit concerned. If this incident proved to be more than just Zeus' paranoia, then the Greek world in all its entirety will be involved no matter what.

After their hunt in South Dakota, Artemis had ordered her hunters to prepare for a new hunt in New York. They were confused as to what might need hunting in the city with the most concentration of Olympus' influence but followed nonetheless.

As soon as the Hunt arrived in New York City, Zeus informed Artemis on the details of the incident, specifically where he had felt it and where it might have landed. Artemis led her hunters to Adirondack Park, where they found multiple police units in front of a hotel by the lake. ' _I see. So even the locals had felt or seen whatever it was. This makes it easier._ '

She turned to face her hunters and said, "Everyone, go and ask around if anything suspicious has happened recently." Artemis motioned towards the police officers scattered around the hotel grounds, "The people around here might know something about what we're hunting."

"Will all due respect My Lady, but what exactly are we hunting?" Zoë Nightshade, a long-time member of the Hunt, asked the question on everyone's minds, "You can't expect us to track down something we're not even aware of."

Artemis sighed and pinched her forehead, "We are hunting something that entered Lord Zeus' domain above New York a few days ago. I know not what it is, but it is our duty to find out." She looked at each of her hunters before steeling her eyes and saying, "Be careful. If any male tries anything to you, you have my permission to deal with them as you see fit."

The hunters nodded and began their hunt. Zoë stayed behind her mistress and asked, "The one we're hunting, My Lady. Are you the only one on its heels?"

A thin smile appeared on Artemis' face. ' _Zoë always was better than most._ '

"No, Zoë. All the Gods have been ordered by Zeus to be on the lookout for this intruder." She turned to face Zoë and placed her hand on her shoulder, "You need not worry, Zoë. If this proves to be more than the hunt can handle, I will not endanger your lives."

Zoë stared at Artemis' eyes for a few seconds before nodding and saying, "Thank you, My Lady. I shall begin my hunt now."

"Be careful, Zoë. Watch your back." Artemis said, watching as Zoë nodded before jogging towards the others.

"Fates, please let this be a quick hunt." Artemis muttered a prayer, she had a bad feeling about this. Now that she had thought about it, her father was unusually restless when he had appeared to her back in the city. She had no idea why, but if something as small as an intrusion would bother her father that much, then it must be extremely dangerous for Olympus. Her father only cared about his reign and Olympus' influence over the world after all.

She approached a police officer and asked as innocently as she could, "Excuse me, sir. Did something happen here?"

She winced at her pathetic attempt to sound like a child when the officer just stared at her. She shifted awkwardly and was about to say something when the officer spoke.

"It's nothing big. Some locals reported an explosion in the forest a few days ago." He took a drag on his cigarette before crushing the butt beneath his boots, "More importantly, what's a kid like you doing alone out in the middle of the night?"

Artemis restrained herself from turning him into a jackalope. ' _Calm down, Artemis. You need information_.'

Artemis looked apologetically at the officer and said, "Don't worry, officer. My parents said they would just be taking pictures by the lake."

The officer sighed and shook his head, "This place isn't safe, kid. A local reported a boy found inside the forest when the explosion occurred. Said the boy was wounded all over." The officer reached into his pockets and pulled out another cigarette. He placed it between his lips before saying, "Now the boy is missing, the guest who found him says he left without saying anything. Be careful, okay?" He patted Artemis' head and began walking towards the hotel.

Artemis reined in her emotions before waving her hands in the direction of the officer. She manipulated the Mist to make him forget they ever had the conversation before walking towards the forest. ' _An explosion inside the forest and a boy found by a guest? Interesting._ '

Artemis looked around and found a bench facing the lake. ' _I should wait for my hunters to come back before deciding on a course of action._ '

As she sat on the bench, she felt something that made her shake in fear. ' _Natural energy? And this pure?!_ ' She jolted upwards and backed away. ' _This is bad. Only Gaea can produce such purity in nature._ '

She narrowed her eyes and muttered, "This is bad. The council must be informed of this as soon as possible."

Before she could flash to Olympus, he saw her hunters coming back from their investigation. She frowned and thought, ' _On second thought, maybe my hunters have found more information on the hunt._ '

Zoë bowed and said, "My Lady, we've finished asking around for information."

Artemis sighed and nodded. "Good. Share your information one by one. Zoë, you go first."

"Of course, My Lady." Zoe nodded and stepped forward.

"I went and asked the hotel's guest and staff for anything suspicious in the past few days," Zoë said, before pointing at the forest.

"They said an explosion occurred inside the forest 5 days ago. It was sudden and strong. They even said it caused a minor earthquake around the area."

Artemis nodded. This lined up perfectly with what the officer had said to her awhile ago.

"They also said that a hotel guest brought a boy inside the hotel. The guest told them he had found the boy in a clearing inside the forest." Zoë looked to Artemis before continuing, "He was filled with wounds and bruises. They reported it to the authorities as soon as possible. That is all I found, My Lady."

Artemis narrowed her eyes and asked, "Did they tell you what had caused such a thing to the boy?"

Zoë shook her head and replied, "No, My Lady. The tenant thinks it was abuse, but no evidence can prove it." Zoë bit her lip as if debating on whether to continue, before saying, "They did say that the guest found him in a crater inside the forest."

' _A crater inside the forest? Probably the result of falling from the sky hard. The boy must have been the intruder of Zeus' domains._ ' Artemis pondered, but something didn't sit right with her.

She turned to her hunters and directed a question to them, "Does Zoë's report match with your reports?"

Most of her hunters nodded except for a chestnut-haired hunter who stepped forward and said, "I also learned something else, My Lady. Permission to share?"

Artemis stared at her before nodding, "Go on, Sophie."

"Thank you, My Lady." Sophie bowed her head before turning around for all of them to see her, "I spoke with the guest who occupied the room beside the male who brought the boy to the hotel."

"Was the guest who brought the boy not present in the hotel?" Artemis cut in. If they asked that male, they would have more information than they currently do.

"No, My Lady. The staff says he had left the hotel at around noon. I couldn't manipulate the Mist well enough to order them to tell me, but I was able to make them point me towards the next best thing." Sophie replied as she bowed her head.

"It's fine. You'll learn to do so eventually. Continue." Artemis smiled at her and patted her back.

"Thank you, My Lady." She smiled back at her and continued, "The guest said he heard screams of pain from the room next to his. Said the guest occupying that room would occasionally come out with a bucket of water and some towels."

"He must've been taking care of the boy that he found. My Lady, we must find that guest." Zoë said, as she looked at Artemis and added, "Permission to hunt for the guest, My Lady?"

Artemis shook her head and said, "In time, Zoë. We must investigate the forest first. All your reports mentioned an explosion inside the forest, and you said the boy was found in a crater."

Artemis looked to the forest before saying, "We'll be going inside the forest. Be careful and watch your surroundings." She then walked towards the forest.

Her hunters nodded and followed her. They followed the police investigating the area, sneakily bypassing their patrols and line of sight. The Hunt moved stealthily across the forest floor with practiced grace. They were trained for this, after all.

As they passed by more and more parked police vehicles, Artemis concluded that they were getting close. A few moments later and they finally reached the area where the explosion occurred.

With a few manipulations of the Mist, the police officers and detectives around the site all fell asleep. Artemis and her hunters moved slowly towards the crater, scrutinizing every detail around the area as much as they can.

As Artemis approached the crater, she froze. Her very being shook as an unholy amount of natural energy assaulted her. ' _Fates be damned! this power… Gaea?!_ '

She shook her head and thought about it more clearly, ' _No. It's similar, but not the same. I have to report this to the council._ '

Her hunters noticed her movements stopping and turned to her. Zoë walked to her and with eyes filled with worry, she asked, "My Lady, are you alright?"

Zoë was just about to reach her hand out to her mistress when suddenly she spoke in a grave voice.

"Zoë, listen to me. Take the hunters to Camp Half-Blood." Artemis ordered, leaving no room for complaint. "You are to stay there until I come back. Is that clear?"

Zoë had never seen her mistress like this. It was like she was afraid. All she could show was a nod to her mistress and say, "By your command, My Lady. Will you be going to Olympus?" She was confused. She wanted to know what was bothering her mistress.

"I am. I will see you back at camp, huntress. Be careful." Artemis said before flashing to Olympus, presumably to another council meeting.

Zoë sighed and looked to her fellow hunters. "Well? Let's get going, girls."

Phoebe, another long-time huntress of Artemis, approached her and asked, "What was that about?"

"Our Lady will be attending another council meeting to report our findings here." Zoë said, before scratching her head and adding, "She has also ordered us to return to Camp Half-Blood until she returns. Let's go."

Phoebe just stared at Zoë's back for a brief moment before sighing and following her.

* * *

Apollo had just finished riding his sun chariot across the sky and was planning on inviting Hermes out to go clubbing. Fates know the guy needed it and maybe a few drinks might help him cope with the unending workload he was going through daily.

He was going through the possible places they might go to later as he walked towards the throne room. ' _Now, where to go? Los Angeles? New York? Or maybe-'_ His thoughts were cut off by the sudden appearance of Artemis.

"Woah, sis! Watch where you're flashing, please?" Apollo exclaimed, waving his hands on his sides exaggeratedly.

Artemis ignored Apollo's complaint and glared at him, "Apollo, call the council. I have some terrible news that I must share."

Apollo straightened up when he saw the seriousness in his sister's eyes. ' _Something's wrong. Sis is always serious but this? This is on a different level._ '

He nodded and closed his eyes before saying, "Let's go. I've informed them of what you said." And walked through the doors of the throne room.

One by one the Olympians appeared on their thrones, each with varying degrees of annoyance on their faces.

Zeus looked at Artemis and Apollo before nodding, "Go ahead, daughter. Tell us what you found."

Artemis bit her lip and looked down. This action did not go unnoticed by the council members and they all sat straighter and listened intently.

Artemis sighed before matching her father's gaze, "Father. We have a problem."

Zeus' eyes hardened and he motioned for Artemis to continue, "Well? Go on."

"I found the crater caused by the intruder when he crash-landed in New York." She paused for a bit, not knowing how to tell her father what she felt, before continuing, "I felt the Earth Mother. Or at least something similar to her." She whispered.

Artemis waited for Zeus' reaction, but it didn't come. Instead, she saw his grip on his Master Bolt tighten, causing his knuckles to go white under the pressure.

"I see. Then this is worse than we thought." Zeus muttered before standing up from his throne, "Everyone! The Earth Mother is rising. Prepare for war." Zeus shouted, his voice ringing across the entire room.

The Olympians looked at each other, some holding mental conversations with the other before each of them stood and voice their compliance.

"Wait! We shouldn't be hasty. There's more, father." Artemis stood up and looked at her father pleadingly. "A boy was found in the crater. I believe we must find him if we are to ascertain the cause of the incident."

Poseidon raised an eyebrow and spoke up, "A boy you say? You think he's the intruder, niece?" He stroked his beard and eyed Artemis.

'Poseidon is doubting me.' Artemis withheld a retort and nodded. "A local from the area found him in the crater and nursed him to health. This was 5 days ago."

Apollo groaned, "You can't be serious, sis. You're planning on tracking a boy who **might** have the power to rival the Earth herself?" He was worried about her sister. Her investigation had all but confirmed that the intrusion of a powerful being was true, but she didn't have to go any further. "Please think twice about this. Please!"

Artemis shook her head and said, "No. I have to do this. We can't risk preparing for war only to find out that the Earth is not rising." She then turned her gaze to her father, "Please, father. Allow me to track that boy. I will not fail."

Zeus thought about her suggestion before sighing, "Are you sure you can do this? What if it truly is the Earth that is rising?" He stared at Artemis as if unsure whether to trust her or not, "Will you accept responsibility if that happens?"

Artemis paused for a moment before nodding resolutely. "Yes, Lord Zeus. I will take responsibility should I fail in my task," She looked down before adding, "Or if it truly is the Earth rising."

Zeus observed her for a moment before pinching his nose and saying, "You have until the next solstice to find this boy. Until then, no council meetings will be held." He proceeded to look over the members of the council, "And everyone will be preparing. We must be vigilant!" Zeus thundered.

Artemis released a breath she didn't know she was holding. As Zeus dismissed the council, she began to plan her next course of action. She didn't notice Apollo walking to her.

"That was stupid, sis. You've already proven that an intruder existed. You don't have to go out looking for it anymore. You've done your job!" Apollo tried to convince Artemis to rethink about going on a hunt for the boy she mentioned, but Artemis glared at him.

"Why are you so adamant about trying to stop me from doing this? I can take care of myself, Apollo." She spat out. ' _How dare he think I'm something to be protected and coddled? I am an Olympian!_ '

"I'm worried about you, Artemis! This is the biggest threat Olympus has faced in the past millennia, so please don't go out on your own." Apollo was all but begging Artemis to not go through her plan, but this only served to make Artemis angrier.

"Do not worry about me. I am an Olympian Goddess, and I can take care of myself." Artemis coldly glared at Apollo before moving to flash out of the throne room.

"I can't see it," Apollo whispered so softly that it was a miracle Artemis even heard it.

"What?"

"I'm all-seeing, Artemis. Or at least I'm supposed to be. But I can't see anything that relates to this threat."

Her eyes widened and she quickly turned to face Apollo. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I thought it was just my powers acting up, but after hearing your report, I think it has something to do with that boy you found." Apollo did not want anyone to know about this. Such an unprecedented threat had appeared, and he could do naught but twiddle his thumbs. "That's why I can't let you do this alone. If you will still tread this path, then I will come with you."

Artemis wanted to refuse his help but paused. If Apollo couldn't see the culprit of this incident, then it meant she'd have to go after it blindly. ' _Another set of eyes to watch my back wouldn't hurt, I suppose._ '

Her eyes softened and she nodded, "Fine. But you will do as I say when I say. Is that clear?"

Apollo raised his head in surprise. He hadn't expected his sister to agree, but he would take it. "Crystal." He nodded, "So when do we start?"

Artemis grinned lightly at him, "Now."

She flashed out of the throne room. Apollo sighed and chuckled softly before following her. "You never change, sis."

* * *

"Ares."

"Yes, father?" Ares bowed.

"Follow Artemis. When she finds that boy, kill him. That is my task for you."

Ares grinned wickedly before he drew his blade and placed it in front of him, "Your will, Father."

"You are dismissed." Zeus watched as Ares flashed out of his temple before he propped his cheeks and muttered, "Who are you, Protogenoi?


	2. Grey Eyes, Silver Eyes

**A few things to clarify:**

**1\. By the time Naruto crash landed into the world, Percy Jackson had already been born. The year is 1997 and Naruto landed on January 6.**

**2\. I would really appreciate it if you give out some criticisms if you feel like I'm doing something wrong, but please try focus on ones that target the writing technique and the overall structure of the story.**

**That is all. Enjoy reading!**

* * *

Naruto was nervous. He was about to try and initiate a conversation with someone after just learning the language in less than a week. Granted, he did have the two clones he summoned dispel, which meant that the cumulative time he spent reading up on English was about three weeks' worth of time. ' _God, the mental backlash was hell. I shouldn't have popped them both at the same time._ '

Naruto sighed, still massaging his temple to alleviate the pain. ' _Here goes nothing._ '

Naruto looked around the library he had been frequenting for a while now and found more than a few people sitting alone. Potential targets for Naruto.

' _Let's go with the old lady first. Grannies are always the kindest._ ' Naruto began walking towards the short old woman who appeared to be reading a bible. ' _Huh. I guess that book is a really big thing around here._ ' He had seen a lot of people reading that book. He had read it himself but lost interest midway through the book.

As Naruto sat down on the vacant chair beside the old lady, she briefly looked up from the book to look at him and smile. Naruto scratched his head and asked, "Is this chair stolen, miss?"

The old lady's smile faltered a bit and she furrowed her brows in confusion. "Huh? Are you alright, sweetie?"

' _Great work, Naruto._ ' Naruto felt the urge to smack himself but refrained from doing so and replied, "I'm sorry, miss. I meant to ask if this chair is taken."

Her face gained a look of understanding and she began to nod. "Oh, yes yes. No one's taken that spot yet. Go ahead, sweetie!"

Naruto smiled at her and took a seat, ' _Grannies really are the kindest._ ' He placed the book he was holding down on the table and opened it up. ' _Now for the second phase._ '

"So, what are you reading, miss?" Naruto grinned and propped his cheeks as he turned to the old lady.

The old lady looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. "A bible, sweetie. Haven't you read one before?"

' _It's going well so far. Now to keep the conversation flowing._ ' Naruto shook his head and said, "I tried, but I kind of got bored around the middle."

The old lady's eyes twitched and Naruto could see that he might have offended her. "Well, you should finish it. A good person reads the bible and tries to understand it," She lectured. "A young kid like you should be guided by the Lord, our Saviour. Where are your parents, sweetie?"

Naruto frowned, he did not expect her to get so worked up. ' _Why'd she get all pissed just because I mentioned getting bored of reading a thick book?'_ He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "They're at work right now, miss. I'm sorry if I said something wrong." He looked at her apologetically and forced a smile.

The old lady scoffed and got up from her chair. She closed her book and made to leave.

' _Okay. Maybe grannies are not always the kindest._ ' Naruto sighed and clenched his fists. ' _That went shitty. I need more practice._ ' Naruto got up and headed for the restroom. He needed to learn more before trying again.

He closed the door behind him and double-checked if the restroom was empty before crossing his fingers and calling out his signature technique, " _Shadow Clone Technique!_ "

Six puffs of smoke appeared and with them, six clones of Naruto materialized. He looked at each of them before nodding. " _We need to learn more before attempting another conversation. Disguise yourselves and read up on the religions and cultures of this world. Chop chop!"_ He clapped his hands and motioned towards the door.

His clones rolled their eyes before one glared at him and said, " _If we catch you napping, you won't like what we'll do to you, boss._ " Before sticking his tongue out at him.

Naruto's eyes twitched and he grit his teeth. " _Stupid insubordinate clones. Ugh._ " He sighed and shook his head before following the clones outside the restroom.

He made his way back to his seat and opened the book he placed on the table. ' _It'll be quicker if I read up as well, though. Yosh! Let's do this!_ '

* * *

Artemis flashed to Camp Half-Blood with Apollo. They appeared in front of Cabin 8 before Artemis turned to Apollo and said, "Go and tell Chiron of our arrival. I will be informing my hunters about our mission." She then glared at Apollo before adding, "Meet me here at exactly 8 PM. If you arrive late, I **will** leave without you."

Apollo gulped and nodded. "Roger that, sis!" He saluted her before saying, "I'll be visiting my kids too, if you don't mind." He then flashed away, presumably to the Big House. Artemis sighed before she smiled softly and muttered, "You really love your kids."

She entered the cabin and saw her hunters lazing about in the living room. At the sight of their mistress, the hunters frantically stood up and tried to look as if they weren't just being idle in the cabin.

Artemis grinned before saying, "Enjoying camp life, are you?"

A few hunters flushed in embarrassment before Zoë emerged from the kitchen and bowed. "My Lady. Welcome back."

Artemis nodded at her and said, "At ease, Zoë. How have you been? Anything I should know about?"

Zoë smiled at her and shook her head. "No, My Lady. After you ordered us to return to camp, we were able to get here without any major troubles."

"That's good." Artemis moved to take a seat on the couch the hunters had reserved for their mistress. "I have some news, hunters."

Her hunters went silent and began listening intently. Zoë sat down on the sofa beside her fellow hunters.

"Olympus has tasked me with another hunt," Artemis informed them. She eyed her hunters for their reactions.

"When do we start, My Lady?" A huntress asked, excitement filling her eyes as she heard this news.

"The Hunt will not be coming with me." Her hunters deflated at her words. A few groaned and sighed.

"What? What do you mean, My Lady? You're going on a solo hunt again?" Zoë asked, worried for her mistress' safety.

"No. My brother, Apollo, will be coming with me." Now that wasn't as well-received by her hunters.

"What?! You're going with _him,_ My Lady _?!"_ A huntress voiced out in disbelief.

"Let us come with you, My Lady! We must protect you from _him!_ "

Artemis sighed and raised her hand to stop their complaints, "Enough," She said forcefully. "Apollo is still my brother, and despite his tendency to act like a pig, there's only a few I would trust to watch my back more than him."

Her hunters quieted down from her words and reluctantly backed down. Their mistress didn't raise her voice at them often, but when she does, it's always for their own good. They trusted Artemis.

Zoë stared at her with eyes full of worry and said, "Just be careful, My Lady." She approached Artemis and bowed her head once. "We'll be waiting for your swift return."

Artemis smiled and nodded. "Of course, Zoë." She looked to her hunters, all of them eyeing her with concern and worry. "I will be back. In the meantime, try not to burn the camp down," She joked. Her hunters laughed. Their worries slowly fading away.

Artemis stood up and addressed her hunters. "Now go eat dinner. Chiron will be announcing Apollo's and my presence shortly." She then opened the door and walked out of the cabin.

Apollo had just arrived as Artemis exited Cabin 8. As soon as he saw her, he grinned and waved. "I'm not late, am I?" He quipped and wiggled his eyebrows.

Artemis scoffed as they began to walk to the Dining Pavillion. "It's your first time being early in 4,612 years. There's nothing to be proud of, Apollo." She smirked at him before turning serious.

"We're going to start our hunt by tracking that hotel guest that brought in the boy from the crater. Can you try to remember if you saw him during the day?"

Artemis crossed her arms as Apollo nodded and said, "Let me try." He closed his eyes and focused on trying to see the man Artemis had specified.

"I remember seeing an old man. He was trekking in the forest you went to at around noon." He furrowed his brows and concentrated further. "An explosion happened and he went towards it."

Artemis waited for Apollo to continue, but he abruptly stopped. His eyes flew open and he looked wide-eyed at her.

Artemis was unnerved, "What is it? What's wrong?" She inquired.

Apollo gulped and softly whispered, "As soon as he entered the crater, he disappeared." He clenched his fists and continued. "I couldn't see anything inside the crater. It's like there's a filter blocking me from peering into it."

Artemis narrowed her eyes as she digested this information. ' _Merely being in the crater allowed him to escape the eyes of the Sun God, even during the day._ '

"There's more, sister." Artemis turned his eyes to Apollo and listened. "After he climbed out of the crater, I couldn't make out his face anymore. He was carrying a boy, but it was so blurry to me. Even in my visions of the future, I couldn't find any that relates to him."

"What are you saying, Apollo?" Artemis could feel Apollo's confusion. She pursed her lips and began to think of a way to locate this old man.

"He doesn't appear in the future. **Our** future. Gods, Artemis, ever since your investigations, even you appear blurry to me when I use my powers. It's like fate itself is changing around you!" Apollo was beginning to panic. He didn't know what was causing this and it's driving him insane.

"Calm down, brother. I feel fine." Artemis placed a hand on Apollo's shoulders, which made Apollo relax a little, "If we want answers, we must find that old man. I believe a hunter of mine tried to get information on him back at the hotel."

"We're going to the hotel?" Apollo asked.

She nodded. "We're going to the hotel."

* * *

' _Calm down, Naruto. You're_ _ready for this, believe it!'_ Naruto hyped himself up. He was about to attempt a conversation for a second time. ' _Maybe I should try to talk to someone my age._ '

His last attempt didn't go so well. Apparently, there were more than a few religions in this world. The old lady he spoke to the first time was reading a bible, which meant she was probably a believer of Christianity.

He had been reading up on the various religions in this world. Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Old Norse, and a few others. A religion called Shinto bore a few similarities with the religion of his home world, but it was still foreign to him. What caught his attention though was the Ancient Greek religion.

Ancient Greeks worshipped the Gods, which included the Olympians, nature divinities, underworld deities, and heroes. The numerous stories of adventure, war, and heroism caught his attention. Naruto loved heroes, and even aspired to be one.

His interest was piqued by these and he summoned a few more shadow clones to read up solely on Greek Mythology.

He wondered if any of the religions he had read about had any truth to them. In his world, the religion was closely tied to real events and real people, such as the religious cult of the Sage of Six Paths and the Cult of Jashin. Even the Uzumaki believed in the different gods, with the Shinigami being worshipped along with the others in a temple built near Konohagakure no Sato.

He shook his head. He would ponder on the intricacies of this world's myths later. First, he must succeed in communicating with someone.

He looked around the library once more. He had been here for more than a week now, learning all he could about the language of the land he was in, along with the culture of the world at large. Naruto was confident enough to say he's proficient at the language, but that remains to be seen in action.

His eyes landed on a woman with long black hair who seemed to be around the same age as him. She had a tall stack of books in front of her and another book opened to her side. She was writing on a piece of parchment, her eyes darting around so quickly that even Naruto was amazed.

 _'Here goes nothing._ ' Naruto grabbed a few books on the top of his own stack and moved towards the vacant chair beside the woman.

"Is this seat taken, miss?"

The woman stopped writing and looked up at him, brows raised as if asking him to repeat what he had just said.

Naruto withheld a gasp. He met the woman's stormy grey eyes with his own and couldn't help but appreciate their beauty. ' _Beautiful._ '

"Do you need anything?" Naruto shook himself out of his stupor and rubbed the back of his head. ' _Focus, Naruto. Focus._ '

"Ah, yeah. I was wondering if the seat beside you is taken. May I?" Naruto tried to grin but the intensity of the woman's stare was making him uncomfortable.

She didn't answer, choosing only to continue her staring. Naruto felt like he was being dissected by her eyes. He felt vulnerable. He was just about to call it quits when the woman finally relented and replied, "Sure. Go ahead."

Naruto sighed and quickly sat down, placing all the books he brought on the table. ' _What the hell was that? This woman is scary!'_

He sneaked a few glances at her, but she was already deeply absorbed by her work. He didn't know if it was a good idea to disturb her, but he had a mission to accomplish.

"So, what are you working on?" Naruto opened his book and made small talk with the woman beside him. ' _Start with an innocuous question._ '

The woman stopped her work again and glared at Naruto. He smiled sheepishly, still holding the book he had brought with him. She glanced at the pile of books in front of Naruto before returning her gaze to him. She sighed. "It's a project on espionage and asymmetrical warfare."

He smiled, ' _Nice, Perfect topics for me!_ '

"Sounds interesting. Care to share?" He tried to move his chair closer but a glare from the woman stopped him in his tracks.

"I've been trying to figure out a way for a small resistance to fight back against a force that literally controls the earth." She placed her pen carefully on the side of her parchment and turned her head towards him. "In what way would they transport supplies? How would they be able to acquire intelligence from the enemy side without them knowing? These kinds of things."

Naruto pondered for a bit, recalling his experiences in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Zetsu had been able to infiltrate and cause havoc among the ranks of the Allied Shinobi Forces by copying the exact appearance, personality, and energy signature of their allies. It made them feel like they were betraying each other, and paranoia grew among the ranks of the shinobi.

"If the small resistance force focused their efforts on subterfuge, they can probably make it work by using agents planted in the ranks of the enemy." Naruto clasped his hands under his chin and continued. "These agents can acquire the intelligence you need with the enemy being none the wiser."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise. Naruto noticed this and grinned at her. She coughed before saying, "So you're saying infiltration is the answer?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, but not by itself. It would require patience and lots of planning."

"Oh? Care to elaborate further?"

"Well, I'm sure you've already run a few scenarios involving spies. They'd be hidden among the ranks of the enemy troops, but seeing as how you didn't think it's the answer, you probably already expect the enemy to expect you to use spies."

Naruto smiled and raised his finger. "So you don't."

Athena looked at him as if he had grown another head and asked, "What do you mean? If you won't use spies, then why would you suggest infiltration as the answer?"

He smirked and crossed his arms, "It's not using spies if you're using their own troops against them. Think about it. Imagine a person who grew up in the territory of the enemy. He knows the land, the culture, and the people in it. The people know him as well, which makes it less suspicious."

"I fail to see how this doesn't count as espionage."

"It's not espionage because he doesn't know he's spying on his own side for you."

"Huh? How does that work?"

"I don't know. Maybe a childhood friend he sends letters to is an informant of yours? His mother? Or maybe even his taking advantage of his dreams, if that's possible." Naruto laughed. He was basically just throwing ideas out there for the sake of it. Tactics and long-term planning wasn't his forte.

The woman's eyes clouded over as she appeared to be mulling over what Naruto said. Her eyes widened imperceptibly and if Naruto wasn't a ninja, he would've missed it.

She shook her head and smirked at him, eyes filled with mirth. "You seem to have a lot of knowledge about these kinds of things." She was now facing him fully. "I'm Athelia Athanasiou."

' _You did it, Naruto!_ ' Naruto grinned and held his hand out to her. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, Athelia!"

"Naruto Uzumaki? What a strange name. Are you Japanese, perchance?" She took his hand and shook it, noting the firm grip Naruto had.

Naruto had read up on Japan and saw that the language they had shared some distinct similarities with his, so he decided to pose as a Japanese who had just arrived in New York.

"Yeah, I just recently arrived here in America. Wanted to study and explore, you see?" He grinned cheekily. "What about you? Your name didn't sound American to me."

"Oh, yes. I come from a Greek family living here in New York City." She started tapping her fingers on the table. "I'm also taking up Peace and Conflict Studies at New York University. What about you?"

"Oh, I haven't had the pleasure of enrolling in a university yet. I'm planning to, though." It wasn't a lie. Naruto really did plan on going to college to learn more about the world he was in. Kurama almost died protecting both of them coming here, so he wants to be as careful and well-prepared as possible before even attempting to find a way out.

"You are? Good. Might I suggest enrolling in my university?" She grinned and reached for her pen.

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I know how to enroll." Naruto rubbed the back fo his head and looked on as Athelia uncapped her pen and wrote on her notebook. A few moments later, she ripped half of the page she was writing on, folded it, and placed it inside her pocket.

"Don't worry about that. Once you're ready to enroll, just call me on the phone and I will help." She smiled and ripped off the remaining half of the page she had written on. "Here's my number. Don't lose it, okay?"

Naruto's smile faltered. ' _What the hell is a phone?!'_ He took the piece of paper she was holding out and placed it in his pocket. "O-oh. Okay, gotcha."

Athelia nodded and began to fix her things. "I have to go. I'm running late for class. I'll see you when you call me. Later, Naruto." She stood up and slung her purse on her shoulders. She waved at him and took off.

"See ya, Athelia!" Naruto waved back at her until she was out of sight and slumped down on the table.

' _Man, that was exhausting.'_ He chuckled and ran his hand over his hair before muttering, "Guess I should go figure out what a phone is."

* * *

Athena sighed and snapped her fingers. In an instant, her faded grey cardigan and black trouser pants shimmered and turned into an elegant white dress with gold trims.

She just had an interesting day. There she was in the New York Public Library theorizing on the ways Kronos could've been sustaining his followers and keeping them hidden from the searches Olympus had conducted numerous times. She had been re-reading a few books on espionage and asymmetrical warfare and was so close to figuring out a realistic theory that may explain how Kronos and his followers have been able to hide and continue to operate under the nose of Olympus when a blonde young man suddenly approached her.

' _Naruto, huh?'_ Athena failed to stop herself from smiling. The blonde had been able to answer in a few moments the question Athena had been dwelling on for a few days now.

' _There's a spy in Olympus, or maybe Camp Half-Blood. I need to approach this carefully._ '

She had already theorized on a few scenarios that involved espionage. She wasn't stupid. She knew that Kronos would definitely try to gather information on the status of the Greek world through spies. She had been observing the demigods, the deities around Olympus, and the immortal beings around the world for any suspicious behavior, but she never found anything suspicious.

The talk with Naruto made her remember something she had forgotten to do. She hadn't been checking their dreams. What if Kronos had been using Morpheus' realm to communicate with his spies? It certainly explains why all the searching and investigations they've done failed. And if a spy did exist, that would mean Kronos has access to the ins and outs of Olympus, which meant the spy had to be someone in a position to learn these things.

' _Thank you, Naruto. Your insight might have just saved Olympus.'_

She then began to make preparations for the request Zeus had issued her after the council meeting a few weeks ago. _'I should get going before Lord Zeus loses his patience.'_

Athena couldn't help but think back to the blonde she had the pleasure of meeting. He said he was Japanese, but he didn't share many similarities with the Japanese. It was as if the only Japanese thing about him was his name.

' _Maybe he's half-Japanese? That might explain the natural blonde and tan skin. No matter,'_ She'd find out more about him later. For now, she had a job to do.

* * *

Artemis and Apollo approached a small bar hidden behind the tall buildings of Time Square. Normally, such a location would prove to be a boon to businesses such as these. The number of people passing through would inevitably bring more than a few customers into the establishment.

This wasn't the case with this bar. There were no customers when they entered, even though the sign on the door clearly stated it was open.

They had visited the hotel in Adirondack where the boy was taken. With a masterful manipulation of the Mist, they were able to figure out the important personal information of the hotel guest they were tracking. Apparently, the guest lived and operated a bar located near Times Square. They immediately went to the address and found themselves in front of The Blank.

"Hello? Anyone there?" Apollo called out. There was no one manning the bar but the television was on so he assumed someone had to be present.

"Customers?" They heard a voice exclaimed, with no small amount of surprise.

"I'll be right there! Hold on a sec," the voice shouted before the sound of someone running on the wooden planks rang throughout the bar.

An old man appeared from the backroom and hurriedly fixed his bar apron. "What can I do for you?"

Artemis sighed and tapped her brothers back before whispering, "You deal with this."

Apollo smiled at the old man. "I'd like a peach and lime daiquiri, please." Apollo chuckled and added, "And coffee for the lady. Thanks."

The old man nodded and began to work as Apollo went to Artemis and sat down opposite her in the booth she had chosen.

"So how do we do this, sis?" Apollo leaned in and started whispering conspiratorially.

"We should do it subtly. If there's a chance he's working with the boy, we wouldn't want to tip him off. Follow my lead."

"So no messing with his mind?"

"And don't do anything stupid."

"Hey!" Apollo whispered indignantly before Artemis straightened up her posture as the old man approached their table.

"Peach and lime daiquiri for you, sir." The old man gracefully placed Apollo's order on the table before turning to Artemis, "And coffee for you, miss." He smiled and placed her order before taking a step back.

"If you need me, I'll be by the counter." He turned on his heel and returned to man the bar, wiping the few glasses placed on the countertop.

Artemis took a sip of her cup of coffee and nodded to Apollo. "Start a conversation with him. I'll join in and take the lead from there."

Apollo grinned and showed her a thumbs up. "I got this, little sis."

Apollo stood up and pretended to watch the television. It was tuned to the local news, which was covering the recent explosion and minor earthquake in the nearby mountains. He took a seat at the bar and sighed audibly. "Man, I'm so worried! They're saying terrorists were behind that explosion. What do you think, pops?"

The old man shook his head and chuckled as he wiped the glass he was holding. "I think it's been blown out of proportion."

Apollo raised his eyebrows and prodded further. "What do you mean? You sound like you were there when it happened, pops." He smirked subtly before taking a sip of his drink.

The old man laughed. "As a matter of fact, I was." He placed the glass he was holding upside down on the counter before leaning towards Apollo. "I was jogging when the explosion happened. Knocked me off my feet too!"

Apollo chuckled and was about to say something when Artemis sat down beside him, frowning as she brought her glass up to her lips and took a sip.

"So what do you think really caused it?" She had a blank expression on her face as she kept her eyes on the television.

The old man's face fell as he looked deep in thought. "A meteorite, maybe?"

"So… no terrorists then?" Apollo took a sip. "If it's just a meteorite, I don't see why the police are getting so worked up about it."

"I don't think terrorists are involved, but someone definitely is. It's just.." The old man sighed and scratched his cheek. "In the six decades I've been around, I've seen some revolting stuff." He crouched below the bar and took out a bottle of whiskey.

"You know what I hate seeing the most?" He grabbed the glass he had recently wiped and opened the bottle. "Kids getting hurt for absolutely no reason."

His eyes hardened as he poured the whiskey on the glass and downed it all in one go. "I had a kid once, you know," He said, looking straight at Artemis. "He died before even reaching nine. Cancer. We didn't find out until it was too late."

Artemis met his gaze but didn't know what to say. She never had children so she couldn't relate. Apollo looked at her and sighed, subtly shaking his head.

"I felt so helpless. I watched as he endured the pain for months. I prayed to God and asked him to have mercy on my son, but prayers never work."

The old man choked back a sob and cleared his throat. "He died seven months after the diagnosis. He was eight years old. My wife followed three years later. I was twenty-eight then."

Apollo lowered his head. "I'm sorry for your loss, pops."

"It's fine. It happened a long time ago." He sniffed and rubbed his eyes before placing both his hands on the counter. "Once in a while, a few lost kids find this place. Usually, the kids that come here just finished running away from their homes. I'd take them in of course, for as long as they wanted to stay. They never do."

He poured the bottle into his glass again and held it in his hand. "Some would arrive with wounds or bruises, sometimes even both. I try to take care of them like I would to my son."

He downed the glass and placed it on the counter. "When the explosion happened, I didn't know what came over me when I ran towards it instead of away from it."

Apollo perked up and started paying more attention. Artemis did too, in a more subtle manner, and was had turned away from the television in favor of focusing on the old man.

"In the middle of the crater, I saw a kid. He was young, around seventeen or so years old." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "The bruises he had. God, his body was covered in it."

"What did you do to the boy?" Artemis inquired.

"I took him to my hotel room. He was unconscious when I found him."

"What did he look like?" Apollo asked.

The old man eyed him weirdly before continuing. "I don't think it matters, but he had blonde hair and blue eyes. Pretty common around here if you ask me," He said, staring blankly at Apollo.

Artemis glared at Apollo and stomped on his left foot. Hard. Apollo's eyes widened in pain as he resisted the urge to shout. It was a good thing the old man had turned his back for a moment.

The old man faced them once more and continued, unaware of what had just happened beneath the counter.

"I took care of the kid for four days. He didn't so much as toss and turn in his sleep. I actually thought he was dead for a few times." He chuckled before turning serious again. "On the fourth day, I forced him to wake up. He needed to eat, so I asked the staff for some food and kept nudging him to wake up."

"Did he wake up?" They were close, Artemis could feel it. She unconsciously leaned forward.

"He did. Strangely enough, he was more surprised to see the room he was in instead of me, the stranger who took him in." The old man's eyes clouded over as he recalled the events of that day. "He spoke a language I've never heard of in my life. Granted, I haven't really left the country so maybe it's not as strange as it sounds."

"After I realized we couldn't understand each other, I tried to communicate with my hands. I got him to eat, then I went out to get a map from the hotel lobby." He frowned and knitted his brow before adding, "When I returned to the room, he was curled up on the floor. He was in pain, so much pain that it knocked him out again."

The old man's face soured and he clenched his fists. "What kind of person would do such a thing to a kid?" He muttered.

Artemis was getting impatient. "So what happened next?" She asked with a bit more force. Apollo glanced disapprovingly at her and sighed.

"Oh, Uhh." The old man's eyes clouded over for a bit before he shook his head and continued. "Where was I? Oh yeah."

He cleared his throat and inhaled deeply before saying, "The next morning, I woke up just as the kid was about to leave the room. I didn't know if he felt fine but I couldn't really stop him from going, now can I?"

"Where did he go?"

"Beats me. He just took the map I gave him and left." He shrugged and collected the glasses she and Apollo had used. "I only gave him a map of New York, so he's probably around somewhere."

Artemis wasn't satisfied with the answer and with more force than before, she asked him the same question. "Where did he go?"

Apollo shot a worried look at the man as his eyes clouded over again before turning to face Artemis. "Sister, stop! You told me not to do anything stupid, so you should do the same!"

"Stay out of this, Apollo."

"I thought you said you wouldn't use the Mist on him?!"

"If you didn't mess up on the first two sentences you spoke with him, this wouldn't be happening. I had to manipulate him from the start because of your stupidity! Now don't. **Interfere**." She glared at Apollo and moved to manipulate the Mist some more on the old man's mind when Apollo stood up and grabbed her wrist.

"Stop this, Artemis."

"Let go of me, _Apollo,_ " She spat out in a voice laced with venom as her striking rage-filled silver eyes bored into Apollo's own.

He let go of her sister's wrist and placed himself in between her and the old man. "This isn't right, sister. He's an innocent, good man."

"Step aside, Apollo. I need to do this." Her eyes turned cold and any previous traces of anger on her face vanished.

"I won't let you kill a man who's done nothing but good things in his long life." Apollo crossed his arms and met Artemis' eyes.

"You'll have to go through me."

Her cold, emotionless mask cracked, and her face contorted with anger. "I betted my life to find that fates-damned boy!" She snarled before restraining herself and taking a deep breath.

"I will do whatever it takes to accomplish my mission, Apollo." She walked forward and pushed Apollo out of the way, but as she did, the old man suddenly collapsed in a heap on the floor.

The sight stops her in her tracks as Apollo hurried over to him and gritted his teeth. "Damn it, Artemis. Look at what you've done!"

He lifted the old man's head off the floor and placed it on a small cushion he had conjured. Artemis looked on as her brother checked the pulse of the old man. She lowered her head as she felt a pang of guilt course through her body. She was about to speak when Apollo beat her to the punch.

"Leave, Artemis. Cool your head," Apollo muttered coldly, disappointment evident in his eyes.

Artemis opened her mouth to speak but found no words to say. She took a step back and turned around.

"I'm sorry, brother," she whispered softly before flashing out of the bar, leaving Apollo to tend to the unconscious man alone.

* * *

Naruto stood in front of New York University. In his left hand was a Nokia 8110 phone he had bought from an electronics store just around the corner. Two weeks had passed since his meeting with Athelia in the New York Public Library.

Since then, the number of shadow clones he had scouring the city for information had reached a hundred and with their help, he was able to easily find information about mobile phones and went to acquire one. He summoned a few clones to search for a store that sold phones and it didn't take long for them to find one.

With the help of shadow clones and their ability to transform into any object, Naruto was able to buy a phone without any issues. He just hoped the cashier wouldn't get in trouble when the money disappears in a puff of smoke.

He looked at his phone and eyed the number on the small screen, _'Should I call her now? She did say to call her when I'm ready.'_

He exhaled audibly and lightly slapped his cheeks. _'Here goes nothing.'_

He pressed the call button and waited for her to pick up.

_Bzzzt… Bzzzt… Click._

" _Hello?"_

Naruto was startled by the voice. It was his first time using a mobile phone and while he had read up on it, he still wasn't used to it.

"H-hey, Athelia! How are you?" Naruto asked, laughing nervously while rubbing the back of his head.

" _Really, Naruto? That's the first thing you say to me after two weeks?"_

"Hehe. Well, the thing is, I've been busy reading these past few weeks. Sorry, Athelia," Naruto said before clearing his throat. "Are you busy today?"

" _If you've really been reading these past few weeks then I guess I can forgive you."_ She chuckled and paused for a moment before saying, _"I don't think I'm busy today. Are you enrolling?"_

"Yeah, I think I'm ready to start studying in an actual college. You told me to call you when I am, so will you help me?"

" _Of course, Naruto. Where are you right now?"_

He looked around for a moment before saying, "In front of the university. What about you?"

" _Oh, that's convenient. I think I see you. Look to your left."_

Naruto did as he was told and squinted his eyes before spotting Athelia waving at him. He waved back and said, "What a coincidence. I guess I really was meant to enroll today." He joked before ending the call and walking towards Athelia.

As Naruto approached Athelia, he was reminded once again of the mesmerizing beauty and elegance she had. She wore a grey parka lined with white fur, tight, black jeans and black boots. On her head, she wore a faded-grey bonnet. Her smooth black hair had been tied up in a neat bun underneath the bonnet.

She smiled as Naruto approached her and crossed her arms. "Took you long enough," she said jokingly.

Naruto smiled back at her before he sighed exaggeratedly and said, "Well you see, I got lost on the path of life, so I had to find my way back."

Athelia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

She turned around and started walking. Naruto frowned and wondered if he had done something wrong when Athelia stopped and looked back at him.

"Are you just going to stand there like an idiot or are you coming with?" She smirked at him and resumed walking.

Naruto froze for a moment before lightly jogging to catch up to her. _'God, she's pretty.'_

He grinned and clenched his fists. ' _Prepare yourself, New York University. Naruto Uzumaki's coming!'_


	3. Chapter 3

" _Daughter."_

_Artemis' eyes widened in surprise. She turned to the voice and saw Zeus standing with his arms crossed, a frown gracing his face._

_She hurriedly bowed her head and said, "Greetings, father. What are you doing here?"_

_She watched as Zeus lowered his arms and turned away from her. "Why'd you do it, daughter?"_

_Artemis furrowed her brow. "I'm afraid I don't understand, father."_

" _The mission you've undertaken. You didn't have to do that."_

' _Ah, so that's what he meant.' She sighed before looking to towards the horizon. "I am a huntress, father. When I made my report to the council, I wasn't entirely sure what we're up against. I need to know."_

_His frown shifted into a snarl. "You said it yourself, Artemis!" Zeus had now fully turned to her once more. His electric-blue eyes bored into hers as he spat out, "You felt_ _**Her** _ _. Are you telling me you lied in front of the council?"_

" _Father, please understand-" Artemis tried to speak but Zeus ignored her._

" _And you even had the gall to defy my order and make your own! You've sworn to take responsibility if you fail, Artemis." His voice became softer towards the end before he closed his eyes and muttered, "What if you fail?"_

_Zeus loved her daughter. He cherished her and tried to protect her from harm, but in front of the council, he couldn't show favoritism. What she did last meeting was something Zeus couldn't protect her from._

" _I will not fail," Artemis said firmly. She clenched her fists and placed it over her chest. "I am the Goddess of the Hunt. I will find my prey."_

" _Of course you will." Zeus chuckled humorlessly as his shoulders sagged slightly. "If you don't, the council will decide your fate."_

_His eyes never left her as he turned to leave. "Not even I will be able to protect you then."_

_In a quick flash of brilliant light, he was gone._

_Her legs lost all strength and she slumped down to the grass and began to shake uncontrollably. A few moments later, she felt Apollo nearing her and restrained her emotions._

" _It's done, sis! I got the address." Apollo stopped a few steps away from her, in his hand was a piece of paper that looked like it was ripped straight from a record book._

_Apollo frowned as she saw his sister's face. "Sis? What's wrong?"_

_She sighed and shook her head, "It's nothing, brother. Just thinking about the Hunt."_

* * *

Artemis rubbed her eyes a few times before she exhaled audibly. After the mess that happened with the old man, She had flashed to her temple to cool her head and calm down. Two weeks had passed since then and she was getting restless. She paced around the room as she thought about what she was supposed to do from here. Her plan had failed spectacularly. The old man didn't know where her target went after he left and she had no other leads to follow.

 _'I'm such an idiot.'_ Artemis didn't have the slightest idea of what to do next. _'At this rate, I'd be better off asking Athena for help.'_

She had thought about seeking help from her sister but hesitated. Her pride as a huntress would not allow her to ask for help in tracking her prey. A few seconds later, she berated herself mentally, _'It's your pride that led you to this.'_

She reluctantly made up her mind and headed to the door. She left her temple and made her way to Athena's.

She neared the door and raised her fists, hesitating for a brief moment, before knocking thrice.

Suddenly, a loud squeaking of wheels and rustling of paper sounded just beyond the door before stopping abruptly. The door opened, showing Athena wearing her flowing grey robes, grey eyes widening at the sight of her. "Sister? Well, this is a surprise."

Artemis thought she saw annoyance in Athena's eyes for a split second before brushing it off her mind. She pursed her lips before asking, "May I come in, sister?"

Athena observed her for a second before moving to the side and held the door open, "Sure, sure. Go ahead."

Artemis entered her temple and looked around. Inside Athena's temple were an innumerable amount of bookshelves so tall that they reached the ceiling. Tall ladders framed the sides of each block of bookshelves and a few books placed on flying trays were whizzing about.

Athena closed the door and made her way back to her study, motioning for Artemis to follow.

"So what do you need, sister?" Athena asked, not even looking at her as she absent-mindedly grabbed a few of the books flying around before tucking them under her arm.

Artemis sighed. _'Straight to the point as always.'_ She swallowed before answering, "I need your help, Athena."

"I know you do, sister. I want to know what it is you need help with," Athena droned as they approached a door. She pushed it open and looked at Artemis before saying, "Come in."

Artemis stepped inside the room before she heard Athena close the door with a click. Scattered all over the room were books and parchment papers. She spied a few blueprints in the corners, as well as something that looked like the phone her brother, Apollo, had shown her a few months back. She shook her head and smiled softly. _'As expected of you, sister. Busy as ever.'_

"So," Athena began as she turned to Artemis and raised an eyebrow. "Go on, then. Explain your request."

"I need your help in tracking down my target, Athena," Artemis didn't look at her sister as she spoke those words.

"You mean the boy you mentioned you found in the forest, correct?"

Artemis nodded. Athena paced around the room as she kept her eyes on Artemis before sighing.

"As you can see," Athena began as she gestured towards the various projects she had around the room. "I'm a bit busy, right now. I cannot help you hunt, sister."

Artemis shook her head and replied, "You don't have to come with me. Just tell me what I'm supposed to do now."

Athena gained a thoughtful look and stroked her chin. She stopped pacing around the room and walked towards what Artemis presumed to be Athena's main desk.

"I guess I could do that. Tell me everything you know." Athena took out a notebook and a pen from her desk before moving back towards Artemis. She uncapped her pen as she waited for Artemis to speak.

 _'Everything I know?'_ Artemis searched her memories for a moment before nodding.

"Where do I start?"

* * *

(A few moments earlier)

"So you're saying there's a chance, Thelia?" Naruto asked teasingly, holding his phone to his ear, a grin threatening to split his face.

A scoff could be heard from the phone before Athelia replied, _"What I'm saying, Naruto, is if you had asked me out to dinner yesterday, I would've accepted."_

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Then how about tomorro-"

" _I'm sorry Naruto, but busy for the entire week. I need to talk to my team to prepare for a presentation."_

His smile faltered and his shoulders sagged. "O-oh. I see. It's fine, Thelia." He forced a chuckle to hide his disappointment.

An awkward silence ensued before the sound of Athelia clearing her throat.

" _Well?"_ Naruto frowned in confusion. Her tone sounded like she was expecting him to say something else.

"W-what's up, Thelia?" Naruto asked, cautiously trying to recall if he had said something wrong earlier.

He heard her sigh before she spoke again. _"Are you going to ask me out for next week or not?"_ She asked, impatience lacing her voice.

"Oh. OH!"

" _Seriously, Naruto. I swear, you're only smart if it involves military stuff,"_ She melodious laughter filled Naruto's ears. It was enough to make his smile return. He chuckled.

"Then will you go out with me for dinner next week?"

" _I'll think about it,"_ she said teasingly. Naruto can imagine her smirking at him cheekily, her grey eyes twinkling with mischief. _"Sure, Naruto. Does Friday sound good?"_

"Yeah, that's perfect. What time should we meet?"

" _Let me think,"_ she said. Naruto heard the sound of paper rustling before she continued. _"How about-"_

She paused. A few seconds later she spoke and said, _"Let's talk about it later, Naruto. Something just came up. Bye."_

The call was unceremoniously dropped before Naruto could even reply. He lowered his phone and muttered, "That was weird."

"Done with the lovey-dovey talk, boss _?_ " Naruto was startled by a shadow clone carrying a box. "Maybe now you can actually help get things done, right _?_ "

Naruto was grateful for shadow clones. He really was. Ever since he came to this world, the ability to create hundreds of shadow clones really helped him fit in. If not for the shadow clones and their ridiculously convenient memory transfer, he would've still been reading up on English in the New York Public Library. Hell, they were even able to create a legal identity for himself, complete with educational backgrounds and official papers.

He just hated how much they annoyed him. Like this clone, for example. He really wanted to punch him.

"Shut up! I'm the boss around here. Don't order me around," Naruto stuck his tongue out and moved past the clone.

The clone flipped him off before returning to his work.

' _Stupid clones.'_

" **They're your clones, idiot. You're basically calling yourself stupid,** " a deep voice rang from within his mind.

"Kurama?!"

" **Who else can talk to you mentally, dumbass? I swear, you're getting stupider by the day.** "

"Hey!" Naruto shouted indignantly, frowning at the harsh insults Kurama had thrown at him. A second passed and the frown shifted into a smile. "Welcome back, fuzzball."

" **Yeah, yeah. Don't get sappy with me all of a sudden, kit.** "

Naruto felt the familiar tug of his seal and willingly let himself be pulled by Kurama into his mindscape.

" **So,** " Kurama crossed his arms and looked at Naruto, " **How long have I been out?** "

Naruto stroked his chin. Kurama could almost see the gears turning in Naruto's head.

"Hmm. About twenty-six days, more or less. You were pretty spent, weren't you?"

Kurama mimicked Naruto and stroked his chin, " **That long? Did I miss anything?** "

"You missed a lot of things, Kurama."

" **Stop being a smart-ass, Naruto. It doesn't fit you.** "

They both laughed. Naruto had missed Kurama a lot, though he would never tell him that. They only had each other in this world and Naruto didn't know what he would do if Kurama hadn't come back.

"I've learned a lot of things about this world while you were out." He smirked and haughtily puffed his chest.

" **Really now? Like what?** "

"Well," He furrowed his brow in thought and started recounting the things he had done, "I learned a new language, read up on various things in this world, forged my identity, got an apartment, made a fr-"

" **Hold on, Naruto. Did you just say you read?** " Kurama interrupted him, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Oi, fuzzy," Naruto shouted loudly and began shaking his fists in a threatening manner, "Shut the hell up!"

" **How'd** _ **you**_ **do all these in less than a month, Naruto?** "

They looked at each other dryly and deadpanned, "Shadow clones _/_ **Shadow clones**."

Kurama sighed and reluctantly said, " **I guess I should commend you for the hard work Naruto. How many shadow clones do you have right now?** "

Naruto's grin threatened to split his face, "Five-hundred."

"… **Oi. How stupid are you?** "

"Oi!"

Kurama grinned and lowered his arms. He held his fist out to Naruto and said, " **I'm back, Naruto.** "

Naruto met his fist with his own, a smile firmly placed on his face.

"Welcome back, buddy _._ "

* * *

After their short heart-to-heart, Naruto left his apartment and headed to a secluded area at the behest of Kurama. With the fox as his guide, Naruto walked through the near-empty midnight streets of New York City, easily avoiding the few people going about this late into the night.

" **On your right, kit.** "

Naruto looked to the right and across the street was Central Park. He entered it and walked for quite a bit, looking for something to sit on. A few minutes later, he spotted a bench by a fountain. He sat on it and sighed.

"So," He began, "Mind telling me what we're doing here, Kurama?"

" **Before that, I want to know something, Naruto,** " Kurama replied. " **What do you plan on doing from here on out?** "

"Well, I was thinking of gathering more information around before making a move, y'know?"

"… **Please tell me you've at least thought about how we might possibly get back home.** "

 _That_ made him pause. In the first few days since they arrived, finding a way back home was what occupied Naruto's mind. He had tried to think of a possible way they might be able to travel back home, but he wasn't nearly knowledgable enough on Sealing Techniques to even think about trying them out.

The other option he had thought up was to recreate Kaguya's final move but crossed that out as soon as he realized he didn't have enough chakra to do so. He'd also rather not try out a technique that killed its only caster, so there's that.

He sighed and his shoulders sagged slightly, "I've been thinking about some stuff, but I'm not sure if they're even possible for us right now."

He could just see Kurama palming his face at the answer he had given him, " **Seriously, Naruto. What are you gonna do without me?** "

"Oi! I've done a lot of things without you, bastard!" He huffed and crossed his arms, "I don't see you coming up with any plans, you ass."

" **As a matter of fact, I do have a plan.** "

Naruto's eyes widened. He should've expected it, though. Kurama always was the smarter of the two of them, and the fact that he was at least a couple thousand years old meant he had probably picked up some things regarding dimension-travel in his long life.

"Spill it, then. What's the plan, furball?"

" **Before I tell you, I need to ask you another question.** "

"What is it?"

" **Have you tried to use any other techniques aside from Shadow Clones and Transformation?** "

"No, I haven't. Why?"

" **Try drawing out your chakra.** "

Naruto frowned as he recalled the pain he had felt back then when he tried to mold chakra. The pain was unbearable and he had refrained from pushing his luck by trying out a different technique.

"Fine."

He reluctantly nodded as he reached into the warmth from within his body and began drawing it out. He braced his body for the pain that might follow, but nothing happened. He cautiously began drawing more chakra out, before finally saying, "I feel fine. What now?"

" **Good. Now, make a Rasengan.** " Kurama ordered.

He did as he was told and focused the chakra he had gathered to his hand. He then began rapidly rotating the chakra in all directions. A small ball of rotating chakra appeared on his palm a second later and, as he pumped more chakra into it, grew bigger until it was about the size of his head.

"Now what?" He asked, steadily maintaining the technique.

" **Stop pumping chakra into it.** "

He stopped his chakra flow and watched as the Rasengan maintained its shape. It was a technique that, once formed, didn't require a constant supply of chakra to maintain it. He was confused and began to ask, "Oi, Kurama. What no-"

" **Shut up and keep watching.** "

He was taken aback by the firm tone Kurama had but resumed observing the sphere on his palms.

The Rasengan kept spinning for a moment before suddenly, to Naruto's surprise, it destabilized and began to dissipate.

"What the hell? What happened?" He muttered.

" **Just as I thought. Now it makes sense.** "

The Rasengan should've kept spinning until he disrupted the chakra flow inside the sphere, but he had done no such thing and yet it still disappeared. Confusion all over his face, he asked, "You knew this would happen?"

" **I had my suspicions, but this confirms it.** "

"What suspicions? Get to the point, furball." Naruto was beginning to get irritated. He hated it when Kurama spoke like this. He didn't get why the fox couldn't just get straight to the point.

" **Calm down, Naruto. Tell me, do you feel anything odd about this world?** "

"Odd? No, not really."

" **Idiot. When you first arrived, did you try to use your chakra?** "

"I did. Hurt like hell too." He answered, still unsure of what Kurama was trying to say.

" **Try to feel your chakra. See if you notice anything different.** "

He nodded and closed his eyes, going through the familiar steps of meditation. He reached out to his chakra once more, but instead of drawing it out, he merely touched it. He felt nothing at first. Then, slowly, he began to feel something else. ' _Natural energy? But I don't remember drawing it in!_ '

Naruto was startled, but before he could react, he heard Kurama say, " **Don't stop, kit.** "

He suppressed a shiver and kept feeling his chakra, now being able to detect the traces of natural energy he most certainly did not gather. A few seconds passed and he was about to stop when suddenly, he felt something new. Something uncomfortable.

That something was trying to push his chakra, and by extension himself, out. He immediately stopped and opened his eyes.

"What was that, Kurama?" He asked alarmingly,

" **I'm not entirely sure,** " Kurama answered, " **But I think it might be this world trying to push us out of here.** "

"What?"

Kurama sighed and began to explain, " **We're not supposed to be here Naruto. Our existence here is a disruption of the natural order of the world. A mistake. The world is trying to correct that mistake.** "

It took a few moments of comprehending before a look of understanding dawned upon Naruto, "You're saying the world is trying to kill us?"

" **Not kill. It's trying to make us disappear from existence entirely.** "

"It's the same thing, Kurama!" He shouted in a voice laced with a bit of anxiety. "Any second now and we might just disappear! Poof!"

" **Calm down, kit. As long as you don't use up your chakra, nothing will happen. I think.** "

That helped calm Naruto down, though only a little bit.

"What do you mean?"

" **My theory is, as long as we have an anchor, we won't be removed from existence.** " He explained, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

" **I think our anchor is our chakra coils. The constant flow of chakra is preventing whatever it is trying to 'kill' us from succeeding.** "

"What makes you think that, Kurama?"

" **Your clones, kit. Have you had any clone disappear without ordering it to?** " Naruto tried to recall his memories for any clone that popped without his consent.

"No, I don't think so. You think it's because they have their own chakra coils?"

" **Exactly. The technique splits your chakra into even parts between you and your clones. It allows them to have their own chakra coil, and a constant flow of chakra.** "

Naruto nodded. He understood the gist of it, but he still had one more question in mind.

"What about the natural energy? I don't remember gathering any at all since coming here."

Kurama mulled over it for a while before coming to a conclusion, " **Only one way to find out, kit. Try entering Sage Mode.** "

Naruto listened and entered meditation again. He began to draw in the natural energy around them, but as he did, the energy began to violently fight back against him. _'What the?!'_

Naruto was surprised but recovered quickly and reined the energy in, mixing it with his chakra before letting it flow throughout his body. His eyes gained an orange pigmentation around it and his irises changed into that of a toad's.

After entering Sage Mode, Naruto was immediately assaulted by the intense hatred from the Earth. Curses and whispers of pain and suffering entered his ears as Naruto recoiled in shock and tried to block out the feeling.

" _You left us, Naruto. You just left us."_

" _Idiot. How am I going to release the illusion if you're not here?"_

" _Naruto-kun, why?"_

" _This isn't what your father would've wanted, Naruto."_

" **Naruto, focus! Don't let it overwhelm you!** " He could barely hear Kurama shouting in his mind. All he felt was pain and anger. The world was driving him insane. He wanted to hit something.

Kurama was trying to suppress the large amounts of energy Naruto had been releasing, directing it back to the seal and into his coils. If Naruto didn't stop now, he wouldn't want to imagine the damage the explosive energy would cause to the city.

" **Damn it Naruto, stop!** " Kurama forced a bit of his chakra out of the seal and materialized his consciousness in front of Naruto before grabbing him by the collar. He began to purify the foreign presence in the natural energy within Naruto when his instincts screamed at him to dodge.

He hastily pushed Naruto back and leaped away just as two arrows, gold and silver, landed on the spot he was on just a moment before.

* * *

Artemis flashed into Camp Half-Blood before making her way to the Big House as she recalled the advice Athena had given her a few minutes ago.

" _You mentioned feeling natural energy, right?" Athena asked, deep in thought as she stroked her chin. "Then try using that to track your prey."_

_Artemis looked at her dryly before she replied, "You don't think I've tried, sister? Aside from the energy in the crater, I can't feel any other traces at all."_

" _Then maybe you should consider asking a satyr to help you."_

" _A satyr?" She repeated incredulously. "And what makes you think they can feel it?"_

" _Most satyrs in Camp Half-Blood aim to become Searchers, you see." Athena took on a lecturing posture and continued._

" _They've been searching for Pan for a while now. To be a searcher, you need an extreme sensitivity to natural energy."_

_Artemis' eyes widened in understanding, "I see. With a satyr's help, it might be possible to find a trace of natural energy that leads to my prey." Her eyes lit up with determination before she bowed her head to Athena and said, "Thank you for your help, sister. I am in your debt."_

" _Of course you are. When I require your assistance, I will call. Now go, sister. You have a quest to finish." Athena made her way to the door and opened it for Artemis._

With Athena's help, Artemis now had another lead to follow. She arrived at the porch of the Big House. She made her way up the steps and saw Chiron already waiting there.

"Lady Artemis," He bowed respectfully before he scratched his beard and asked, "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

She waved her hand dismissively and said, "At ease, Chiron. I'm here to ask for your help."

"Of course, My Lady. I live to serve Olympus."

She observed his face before nodding and said, "I require a satyr for a hunt of mine. Would you be willing to refer one to me?"

Chiron's face twisted in confusion, before shifting into one of concern, "I'm afraid I don't understand, My Lady. A satyr?"

"That is correct. I need one to accompany me on a hunt."

He sighed and made a grimace before shaking his head, "I'm afraid there are no available satyrs as of now. All the searchers left a couple of days ago."

He moved towards the deck railing and eyed the few campers curiously looking at them, "A new lead in their quest to find Pan has appeared. They won't be back for quite a while."

Artemis clenched her fists. It seems she was a bit too late. Her last chance to find her target was slowly fading away.

"It doesn't have to be a searcher, Chiron." A voice from behind Artemis sounded out, "I know of one that might be of help."

Artemis turned around and saw Apollo standing about a meter away. As their eyes met, Apollo smiled softly and winked, _'Don't worry about it, sis.'_

' _Thank you, brother.'_ She smiled back at him and nodded, before turning back to Chiron, whose face had a frown adorning it.

"Lord Apollo," He bowed, "I'm afraid I cannot allow a satyr without his license to go on a search."

"We're not searching for Pan, old buddy. We don't need a searcher." Apollo placed his elbow on his sister's shoulders, a playful grin on his face, and added, "And you don't have to worry about a thing. He'll have the protection of two Olympian Gods, anyways."

Artemis glared at Apollo before she shrugged him off her shoulders. Apollo cleared his throat before saying, "This is a quest from Olympus, Chiron. You'd best not defy it."

Chiron sighed and relented, "Forgive me for my insolence, My Lord, My Lady. Who did you have in mind, Lord Apollo?"

Apollo smiled and leaned on the railings, eyes glowing slightly, "I'd like for you to allow a Grover Underwood to be our satyr guide, my friend."

At the mention of that name, Chiron tensed. He clenched his fists and his eyes hardened, "My Lord, with all due respect, I cannot allow such a young satyr to attempt a mission of the gods."

Artemis sighed and replied, "You need not worry, Chiron. Apollo and I are more than enough to protect him from any dangers that dare appear in our way."

"But still, My Lady, I-"

"Chiron, this is a serious matter." Apollo's grin was replaced by a serious visage, his tone turned firm. "Bring the satyr here."

Chiron seemed like he wanted to say something but restrained himself and chose to nod instead, "I understand. My apologies. I'll fetch him now."

He slowly trotted off the porch and left the sight of the twins. Apollo breathed out audibly and slouched his back onto the railings. Artemis moved to his side and mimicked him, leaning on the deck railings.

"So," Artemis scratched her cheek and tried to form words in her head, "About that mes-"

"You don't have to apologize, sis," Apollo muttered. He didn't look at Artemis and instead began tapping his fingers on the wooden rails, "It's done. I won't hold it against you."

"Still, brother. I apologize. I was… reckless." She said, her voice faltering near the end as she lowered her head, guilt building up in her system. "How is he?"

"He's fine now. A few migraines might pop up out of the blue here and there, but other than that, he'll be as well as he was before we came." He sighed and ran his fingers through his golden locks, "He's old, though. Thanatos might well be on the way to claim him."

"I see."

A few minutes passed before Chiron came back. Along with him, a young scrawny satyr with curly brown hair, brown eyes, and a tiny horn jutting out on top of his head. The boy shrunk away at the sight of the two gods, though when his eyes landed on Artemis, a blush appeared to rage on his cheeks.

"My Lord, My Lady," Chiron bowed, "At your request, this is Grover Underwood."

The boy, Grover, mimicked Chiron and bowed as well, "My Lord, My Lady."

Apollo and Artemis nodded in acknowledgment before Apollo smiled and waved for Grover to come closer, "C'mere, little one!"

The jubilant voice only made the satyr flinch, but then he reluctantly followed.

Artemis watched as the boy dragged his feet to Apollo, shrinking under the gaze of both her and her brother. Apollo's smile only widened when the boy finally reached him. He placed his hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair.

"You're going to be a great searcher, Grover." He winked at the boy and began to call upon his domain of Healing and gave out his blessing.

"For now though, you'll be accompanying my sister and me for a bit, okay?"

"I-I understand, My Lord."

Artemis withheld a chuckle and moved to the boy's left side. She placed her hand on his shoulder and called upon her domain of Hunting,

"Little one, I shall grant you my blessing as the Goddess of the Hunt," she said. "Close your eyes and cover your nose."

She watched as the boy did as she ordered and gave out her blessing. As soon as she did, the boy began shifting in discomfort.

Grover blushed as he felt a warm feeling enter his body from the shoulder, not unlike the previous feeling he had felt from Apollo's touch. He didn't expect the sudden influx of different scenes assaulting his nose afterward.

"My blessing enhances one's senses to help them hunt," she said. "We require your ability to sense natural energy. This will help you sense it better."

"And my blessing will help heal your injuries," Apollo chipped in. "As long as you don't take any mortal injuries, you don't have to worry about a thing!"

Grover nodded, overwhelmed by the events that had just happened. An Olympian blessing someone not of their blood was rare enough, but two Olympians doing so? It was mind-boggling to Grover.

"T-thank you, My Lord, My Lady. I will try my best to be of use," he bleated out as Apollo and Artemis removed their hands from his person. "May I inquire as to what I'm supposed to help hunt you guys with?"

"Apollo and I will explain on the way. Come, we must begin as soon as possible."

Artemis moved to leave the porch and Apollo followed. He looked back at the boy and winked, "C'mon little one. You'll have time to fawn over my sister later."

Grover blushed and hesitantly followed them, already cursing his luck for being chosen to accompany them. He didn't really mind that much though. Just the sight of the maiden goddess was enough to turn his legs soft, like jelly.

* * *

The two gods and satyr made their way through the streets of Manhattan's 3rd Avenue, having tracked the trace of natural energy to here. Grover was currently leading the two Olympians, being the only one able to sense the amount of natural energy so minuscule that even he would be forced to stop and concentrate his already-enhanced senses to pick it up again.

He stopped again, the energy had faded a bit around the area they were in, almost as if it had been split. It took a while for Grover to pick it up, but instead of only a single trace, he felt more than one.

"L-Lady Artemis, Lord Apollo!" he called out. "There's something wrong."

Artemis stepped forward, a silver bow materializing on her hands.

"What is it, little one?" She asked.

"It's strange, My Lady. The energy we've been following, it's almost like it duplicated."

Apollo raised an eyebrow and summoned his own golden bow, "What do we do now, sis?"

She stroked her chin and thought on it for a moment, _'Does our prey know we've been hunting him?'_

"Are there any differences between the energies?" she asked.

Grover closed his eyes and concentrated once more. He focused his senses and tried to see any differences between the energies he had picked up.

_'Let's see… There!'_

"My Lady! I barely felt it, but there's a trace of energy that feels bigger than the others."

Artemis nodded, "Good work. Lead us to that energy, little one."

Apollo grinned and excitement filled his eyes, "Alright! Let's go, troop!"

They began walking faster as Grover led them through the streets. They had just turned on the 79th Street when Grover suddenly stopped in his tracks, fear written all over his face.

"What's wrong, little one?" Apollo asked.

"M-My Lord! You don't feel _that_?!" Grover replied, panic evident in his voice. He pointed to the direction of the feeling and said, "I-it's coming from there, from the energy I've been following!"

"That's Central Park, brother. Come!" She took off, leaving behind Apollo and Grover.

"Sis, wait! Ah, damn it," Apollo cursed. "Come, little one!"

* * *

Artemis arrived at Central Park and slowly moved around, eyes darting everywhere. She had an arrow readied on the bow, senses on high alert. A few minutes later and she heard a whisper from behind her.

"Sis! Don't run off like that on us," Apollo hissed. Grover was on his back, looking dazed and ready to throw up. He lowered the boy and drew an arrow from his quiver before saying, "Little one, come on. Lead the way."

Grover shook his head and felt his discomfort slowly fading away. _'Must be Lord Apollo's blessing!'_

He coughed a few times and flinched at Artemis' soft but expectant gaze.

"O-of course," He said, quickly getting up on his feet and made his way to the front of the group. "It's over there!"

The two gods followed the satyr silently, fingers on their respective bowstrings, eyes moving all over the place. Grover, to his credit, moved as silently as he could've. The blessing of Artemis showing it's effects as he instinctively avoided stepping on any areas where a sound might give away his location.

Then, they heard a shout. It was a gut-wrenching howl of pain that made even Artemis recoil in discomfort. _'That's definitely it!'_

Apollo and Artemis looked at each other for a second before they nodded and took off to the location of the shout.

They arrived at a nearby fountain where they saw an orange mass of what appeared to be energy leave the body of a blonde man. _'Blonde hair. It must be him!'_

They watched as the orange mass shifted and transformed its shape into that of a humanoid fox about ten feet tall. As it grabbed the collar of the man, Artemis and Apollo drew their bows and fired.

Their arrows sped through the air at such speeds that even the air distorted around them.

They hadn't expected the fox to be able to react and dodge, though. Artemis jumped out of her spot and drew another arrow as Apollo rushed to the blonde man tossed to the side.

She nocked her arrow and aimed her bow at the fox, "What _are_ you?!"

The monster in front of her was unlike anything she had ever seen. Orange fur covered its human-like body and fox-like head, black outlines around its eyes that stretched to the insides of its bunny-like ears. What caught her eyes the most though, were the two fluffy tails flailing about behind it.

The monster didn't respond, only choosing to snarl at her and bare its fangs.

Meanwhile, Apollo had rushed to the blonde man's side and checked up on him. The man appeared to be conscious, but was in a daze and didn't react when Apollo hovered his hands on his chest.

Apollo ran his power through the body of the man but was confused when nothing seemed to happen. It was like his healing powers were being nullified. He didn't have time to mull over this though, as Artemis engaged the fox in a fight.

She dodged a swipe of the fox's tail that smashed into the ground she had leaped from, causing cracks on the pavement. _'Avoid getting hit by its tail.'_

She drew her bow and used its frame to deflect a punch from the fox, the strength of which made her arms feel like they've caught on fire, before firing at its chest. The arrow didn't pierce its skin, but the force of the blow sent the fox back a few meters.

She reached for another arrow.

* * *

Kurama was pissed. Naruto went all berserk and almost destroyed half the city before Kurama was able to reel him back in. He was just about to finish purging Naruto's system from the foreign presence before he was interrupted by two humans.

The auburn-haired silver-eyed woman, who looked to be around her late-teens, held a silver bow that shone brightly as if it was the moon itself on her hands. She wore black leggings and a silver tunic, and on her back was a silver arrow quiver filled with silver-tipped arrows. _'A hunter.'_

She said something to him, but he didn't understand. He snarled at her in annoyance before looking towards Naruto.

The man who raced to Naruto's side had long golden blonde hair, a few shades lighter than Naruto's, tied to back in a bun. His golden robes along with the golden bow he had dropped at his side shone radiantly. If the woman's bow was the moon, his was the sun. From within Naruto, he could feel a foreign power, the man's, trying to force itself into his body. He easily rejected it with a burst of his chakra and watched as the man's face twisted in confusion.

He was then engaged by the woman in battle. She rapidly fired her arrows at him at supersonic speeds, but even in this two-tailed form, Kurama was able to dodge without much effort. He lunged at her with his claws, intent on bisecting the woman, but she rolled out of the way gracefully.

Kurama didn't give her any space and leaped into the air. He swiped his tail at her, only to miss again. He growled, _'Sit still!'_

He dodged a few of the arrows she sent on his way before cocking his fist back and sending a chakra-enhanced punch of his own. The woman blocked it with her bow, which was a lot harder than Kurama had thought, and deflected his punch to the side. His fist dug a hole on the ground the about 3 feet wide.

He pulled out his fists as his sight landed on the woman nursing her arms and made to lunge at her again, but was forced to dodge another barrage of arrows, this time from the golden-haired man who then made his way to the woman's side. Kurama watched as the man placed his hand on the woman's shoulders, bruises on her arms instantly fading away.

They shifted their stance as Kurama crouched on all fours, limbs tensing in preparation for another attack.

" **Oi, Naruto!** " He shouted at him through their mental link. " **Get up!** "

' _Ugh, Kurama? What the hell was that?_ ' He heard Naruto say, but he wasn't able to reply as his two opponents began their attack.

Kurama was forced to evade the continuous barrage of arrows, speedily moving out of the way of most before deflecting the few that caught him with a swipe of his tails. The two showed no signs of slowing down with their firing, so Kurama jumped to a tree and ripped it off straight from the ground. He heaved and threw the tree at the two archers, but they deftly jumped to the side.

This provided Kurama some breathing room though, and as he spotted Naruto beginning to stir and sit up, he hastily formed a plan.

* * *

Naruto rubbed his stomach as he sat up from the ground, still feeling uncomfortable from the previous invasive natural energy coursing within him. He opened his eyes and saw Kurama engaging two strangers in a fight. On the surface, it seemed as though Kurama was losing. He was being forced to play defensively against the endless onslaught of arrows, and it didn't seem like the two were going to run out of ammunition anytime soon.

He knew better though. Kurama wasn't using his more destructive abilities, probably out of consideration for the city. _'Heh. You're just a big softy, aren't you?'_

" **Naruto, I have a plan,** " he heard Kurama say in his head. " **I'll need you to play along, got it?!** "

His eyes hardened. Kurama was serious, and seeing as how they didn't know these people and why they attacked them, they needed to be cautious. _'Go ahead, Kurama.'_

Kurama began to race on all fours towards Naruto, the two archers frowning in confusion and concern.

He sped towards Naruto at breakneck speeds, showing no signs of slowing down.

' _Oi, Kurama! What the hell are you planning?!'_ He shouted mentally and braced himself just as Kurama impacted his body. He didn't feel anything though, and only felt the chakra Kurama had manifested in the physical world enter the seal and merge with the tailed-beast once more.

" **Now act like I've taken control of you, Naruto!** " Kurama ordered. " **I'll explain as we go.** "

Naruto shook his head and got up, eyes still closed, face expressionless. Inside though, was a different story.

' _What the hell do you mean act?! I'm not an actor, you bastard!'_

" **Stop whining, idiot! Just act like that Uchiha bastard you call a friend or something!** "

' _Why you...!'_

The two hunters had stopped just about two meters away from him, cautiously observing and wondering to themselves what had just happened.

He opened his eyes and, in true Uchiha fashion, widened it so much that his eyes almost popped out. His lips upturned into a smirk and he tilted his head.

"You dare attack the great Sasuke Uchiha?!" he bellowed out, making sure to exaggerate every word while doing so.

" **Pfft.** "

The two hunters tensed and returned to their battle stance once more, watching the blonde man for any sudden moves.

' _Oi, bastard. What now?'_

" **Beat them up, kit.** "

His smirk(fake) widened and he popped his neck before crouching down, muscles tensing. Suddenly, he shot off the ground, speeding towards the two hunters before they can even react.

He swung his fist at the man while blocking the woman's attempt to bash his skull with her bow, grabbing her bow in the process.

The man attempted to block his strike but the force was too much and he was blown back a few feet, tumbling away. He then turned to the woman and roundhouse kicked her straight in the chest. It happened so quickly that she didn't even see it coming.

Naruto laughed maniacally(fake) as his two opponents gathered their wits and got up. They flanked him from the front and rear, slowly moving to the side in a bid to find an opening. Naruto didn't give them that though, and lunged straight towards the man in front of him, fists already readied.

He landed his strike squarely on the bow the man had been able to raise in an attempt to block the incoming strike, but it did little help. He was once again blown back, farther this time.

Naruto turned on his heel and skidded on the ground, eyes turning towards the woman. He ground to a halt and reared back his hands, a blue ball of chakra forming on top of it.

He leaped from his spot and thrusted his arms towards the woman, but before it could connect, he was sent tumbling back into the trees by a large burst of energy.

The woman in front of him was now glowing a radiant silver light. Pure unadulterated power rolled of her form, silver eyes shining brightly as she looked at him in confusion and more than a bit of interest.

"To survive the true form of a god. You are no mortal."

' _A god? What's she on about?'_

" **Naruto, be careful!** " he heard Kurama warn him from the seal. " **Something's not right.** "

From behind him, another burst of energy appeared. A second later and the man he had sent flying across the trees came. He glowed a dazzling golden radiance, almost as if the sun itself had come down and took mortal form.

"That was a doozy!" He heard the man shout, stretching his arms and legs before turning serious. "This guy's possessed by a mythical being, sis. No doubt about it."

"Then let's beat whatever it is possessing him out, brother." They stepped forward, bows in hand.

"Let's."

' _What now, fuzzball? Do I go all out?'_ He asked. He was now maintaining a fake manic smile and stupidly wide eyes, but it was starting to hurt his face.

" **Naruto.** "He heard Kurama say. " **Get your ass beaten.** "

He did a double-take and withheld a choke, _'What?! No fucking way, you bastard!'_

" **Just do it, idiot!** "

' _No!'_

Kurama sighed, " **We need them to believe you're really possessed, dumbass. I have a plan.** "

' _You_ _ **so**_ _owe me for this.'_

" **Yeah, yeah.** "

Naruto relaxed his stance and smiled as big as he could, all while maintaining his insanely wide eyes.

"'God', you say? You're delusional!"

The two hunters watched as he stretched his arms out and rolled his eyes back.

"I am God! The one **true GOD!** "

" **Pfft. Hehe.** "

' _Shut the fuck up, bastard!'_

The two 'gods' drew their bows and began another barrage of arrows, but Naruto reacted quickly. He easily dodged their attacks and rushed to the woman.

The woman dropped her bow and drew out two silver hunting knives. She rushed forward and met Naruto in a melee fight.

Naruto could see a few openings in the woman's stance and instinctively tried to exploit them, but the order from Kurama rang through his mind once again and he restrained himself.

The woman used her hunting knives and fought with fury and speed, if it were any other Jōnin fighting her, they'd be hard-pressed to fight back with Taijutsu alone. Naruto wasn't any ordinary Jōnin though, and was able to easily pressure her back, all while dodging the arrows still being fired by the man from afar.

" **Slow down, Naruto. Let them fight back.** "

He did as he was told and began showing openings intentionally. Slowly, the woman was able to land a few minor cuts on Naruto's person before finally, just as Naruto dodged an arrow aimed for his neck, she threw her knives to where she assumed Naruto would dodge to.

Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to dodge both the attacks without showing more power than he should, so he twisted his body in a way that would ensure the thrown knife would miss him and the arrow would only hit his shoulder.

The arrow dug into him and the force blew him back. He was barely able to land on his feet before the woman appeared in front of her, fists reared back.

' _Ah, shit_.'

The punch hit him square in the cheeks and sent him flying to the air. He skidded across the ground and rolled a few times before smashing into a tree.

" **Good work. Stay down, kit. It's my turn.** "

' _Knock yourself out_.'

As soon as he smashed into the trunk, Kurama sent out another burst of chakra out of the seal and materialized the previous form once more.

* * *

Artemis jumped away as soon as she spotted the energy mass from before and readied herself for another fight, but was unprepared for the unholy amount of energy that exploded from the fox as it roared to the heavens.

She and Apollo were blown back, trees were uprooted, and the ground shook and cracked. With a flip, she landed skillfully on her feet and nocked an arrow on the bow she had picked up just as the fox thrusted his claws to stab the blonde man.

She infused the arrow with as much of her godly energy as she possibly could before firing. The arrow shot through the air at unimaginable speeds and landed squarely on the back of the fox. The power within the arrow exploded and violently ruptured through the fox's body, causing it to disintegrate into wisps of silvery light.

Then, only silence remained. Apollo still had his bow readied in case anything happens, but after a couple of tense minutes, they slowly began to make their way to the unconscious form of the blonde man.

"Is it over, sis?" Apollo asked. "I think you killed it."

He crouched over to the blonde man and once again tried to heal his injuries. Surprisingly, his power wasn't rejected by the body like it did before, and one by one the various injuries the littered the body disappeared.

Artemis looked on as Apollo did his magic before she looked around for any sight of the satyr, Grover. She found him a bit further away from the fountain unconscious. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding and thanked the fates that he was. She got down and picked him up before carrying to where Apollo was.

Apollo saw them and got up worriedly, but Artemis placated him with her hands.

"He fell unconscious just before we assumed our true forms," She said. "He'll be alright."

Apollo ignored her and double-checked Grover's status before sighing.

"Thank the fates," He muttered before gesturing towards the blonde man on the ground. "He's fine now. Whatever's possessed him is gone."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," he assured her. "His body isn't rejecting my power as he did before. He's just unconscious for now."

"I see," her shoulders sagged slightly, the last of her excess godly powers seeping away, giving way for fatigue to arise. "What should we do with him?"

Apollo frowned. "I don't know, sister."

"I do," a voice to their side suddenly spoke out.

The twins quickly turned towards the source of the voice and saw their brother, Ares, the God of War himself, armed with a spear and shield in both hands. His celestial-bronze armor glowed a reddish hue, and beneath his helmet were harsh flaming eyes.

He moved closer and pointed his spear at the unconscious blonde, smirking as he did so.

"We kill him."

* * *

"Oi, Kurama. Did it work?" Naruto asked.

He was inside the seal, currently pretending to be unconscious to the outside world. After Kurama's physical manifestation had 'died', He felt himself being pulled into the seal by the tailed-beast.

" **Shut up, idiot! I'm trying to listen to what they're saying.** " Kurama had his eyes closed as he took on a meditative pose.

Silence. Then, a minute had passed before Naruto spoke up again.

"Kurama?"

The fox sighed, " **I think it worked, kit. The gold-man is saying you're not possessed anymore.** "

Naruto's eyes widened and a smile formed in his lips, "Heh. I knew I could pull it off!"

" **Nice acting, by the way.** " Kurama shook his head in amusement before continuing, " **And really? Sasuke Uchiha? I did tell you to act like him, not AS him.** "

"…Ass."

" **And that line about god. Heh, what was it again? 'I am the one true God'? Hilarious!** "

"Shut the fuck up!"

Naruto jumped onto Kurama's snout and pounded it, " **Oi, you idiot! You want a fight?!** "

"Bring it, you over-sized bunny!"

" **Why you…?!** " Kurama snarled at him, but suddenly flinched and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. " **Wait, Naruto. There's another man with them.** "

"And? What happened?"

" **He wants to kill you.** "

"Oh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, all of you, for reading this story!


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, so what's the play, furball?"

" **Give me a second, Naruto.** "

Naruto and Kurama had just been about to celebrate the success of their trickery when the arrival of another party interrupted them. When Kurama had been attacked just awhile ago, he had been surprised and curious at just who or what these people were. So, in a split second, he thought up a plan that might help him and Naruto figure out more about these people before they could do the same to them.

The arrival of _that_ guy ruined his plan. Kurama sighed, it seems like they'd be forced to show a bit more than they'd like. It wasn't hopeless though, as he thought of another plan that might just work if they pull it off.

" **Listen up, kit,** " he started. " **You're going to have to fight that fucker.** "

"Fight him?"

" **Make it look like you're doing it in self-defense, but do beat the shit out of him,** " he nodded, beginnings of a smirk appearing on his face. " **With Sage Mode.** "

Naruto's eyes widened. _'Sage Mode?!'_

"Are you crazy?! You saw what happened to me when I tried that!"

" **Stop whining, idiot! I wouldn't be suggesting it if I didn't have a plan. Do you trust me?** "

The blonde paused. He was still unsure about going into Sage Mode again after what he had felt in the first attempt, but he knew Kurama. He wouldn't just think of a plan if it meant placing him in danger. It was touching really. Their friendship had overcome leaps and bounds since the war, and he didn't trust anyone more than the old fox himself.

He sighed and nodded reluctantly before saying, "I do. Go ahead, buddy."

" **Good. As I was saying,** " Kurama cleared his throat and continued. " **Use Sage Mode to beat him.** "

"Okay. And how do you expect me to keep my cool?"

" **I'll be acting as a filter for natural energy. Let me gather it, you just go fight.** "

Naruto nodded. "And then?"

" **Then, you start acting like you've only just discovered this power. We'll just say it's a side effect of being possessed by the 'spirit' they seem to think of me as.** "

"Shit. More acting." Naruto hated acting. He wasn't good at it at all, so imagine his surprise when the two archers bought it so easily. The only reference he had who was an actual actor was that princess of the Land of Snow, Koyuki Kazahana, whom they had accompanied in reclaiming her rightful place as the daimyo of the land.

" **You did great with Sasuke Uchiha. Maybe you should try Kakashi this time?** " Kurama joked, amusement clear in his eyes.

"So, act like I don't give a shit at all. Got it. What next?"

" **We know that they're already interested in us. By the looks of it, they've been searching for us for quite a while now.** "

"What makes you say that?"

" **These guys arrived in clothing fit for a fight. They had their weapons ready,** " He noticed Naruto's face scrunch up in confusion before elaborating further." **They didn't stumble upon us by accident. They were well prepared for a fight. They were tracking us.** "

"Oooh, that makes sense," Naruto nodded in understanding. "Who do you think these people are? Civilians can't do even a quarter of the things they did in that fight."

" **I'm not sure. They're definitely not shinobi though. I can't feel any chakra from them at all.** "

"The woman said something about 'a god's true form'. You think they're gods?" Naruto briefly recalled getting caught in an explosion of power that came from the woman. The way she glowed under the darkness of the night, silver eyes and all, had firmly cemented its place in Naruto's mind as the prettiest sight he'd seen all his life.

" **At this point, anything is possible. We already know that this world has natural energy, so who's to say gods don't exist here as well?** "

"I just hope none of them are as strong as that bitch, Kaguya," he grumbled and exhaled audibly. "So what do we do about it?"

" **We make them think we're on their side, or at least willing to be. We need more information first. That is the priority.** "

"Got it. Fight the new guy with Sage Mode, act like I only got this power now, try to join their side, gather information."

" **Then let's get to it.** " Kurama grinned and held out his fist.

"It's showtime." Naruto met it with his and grinned. Fights always excited him, and this was no exception.

He'd make sure to enjoy every second of it.

* * *

"We kill him."

The suggestion made by Ares caused Apollo's eyes to widen and Artemis to frown.

"What?! He's innocent, you imbecile!" Apollo shouted. "Artemis has already killed the one possessing him!"

He moved to block Ares from getting closer to the unconscious blonde man and glared at him, daring him to try.

"Ares. What are you doing interfering with my hunt?" Artemis asked, annoyance and anger visible in her silver eyes as she glared at his half-brother. "I do not seem to recall granting you permission to do so, brother."

Ares smirked and chuckled at both of them. He lowered his spear and planted it on the ground before he took off his helmet and held it to his side. He eyed her in amusement before it turned into a glare as his lips shifted into a snarl.

"I do not **need** your permission, sister," He spat out venomously, the flame in his eyes seemed to intensify as he did. "Our father has tasked me with ensuring the death of the one you call prey."

 _'I should've known father would send this buffoon.'_ Artemis groaned internally at the blatant mistrust her father had all but implied when he sent Ares to do her job.

He put on his helmet again before taking the spear he had stabbed into the ground before glaring at Apollo.

"I suggest you move, brother. Lest father finds out you've hindered his will." His smirk came back and he took a battle stance as he faced Apollo.

"Or don't. Either way, the King of the Gods himself has tasked me with this," He drawled mockingly, almost as if he was challenging Apollo to stay put. "And I will stop at nothing to accomplish it."

"You don't scare me, Ares." Apollo returned the war god's glare with his own, now clutching his golden bow. "I've beaten you once before. I'll do it again."

"Good. Just how I like it."

Before either of them could come to blows however, the blonde man started to stir. Apollo ended his staring match with Ares and quickly knelt over to the side of the man. Thankfully, Ares just chose to observe as he did. Artemis came over to his side soon after.

"Ugh. What happened?" the man groaned out, massaging his head before his eyes gained focus and saw the twins looming over him. "And who are you?"

Apollo sighed in relief. He had said to his sister that he was sure the possession was over, but he still had some doubts. The voice of the man as he spoke erased his remaining doubts, however, as it didn't bear a single resemblance to the voice he had been using during their fight.

"Take it easy, big guy. You're okay now." Apollo gently soothed him, face crinkled in delight. He assisted the man in sitting up, cautiously watching Ares for any sudden moves.

Artemis watched as the man gathered his bearings and looked around, eyes wide as he stared at Apollo before looking around and finding her. His ocean-blue orbs and her silver ones met, unease and curiosity filling their eyes respectively. _'He's young.'_

He was about the age of a veteran camper in Camp Half-Blood. His appearance might even pass off as an offspring of Apollo, or maybe Hermes, but she didn't feel a single bit of godliness in his blood at all.

"Who are you, boy?" Artemis inquired. "Do you remember anything at all?"

The blonde frowned and furrowed his brow. "I'm... Naruto Uzumaki."

* * *

When Naruto came to, he was flanked to the sides by two people. The man and woman he was fighting just a few minutes ago. Behind them, just a few steps away, was a man decked in full bronze armor. _'He's probably the guy that wants to kill me.'_

He remembered the plan and began to act all confused. He looked around the area and surveyed the destruction they'd caused in their fight. He then turned his eyes to the two archers.

The man had golden hair a few shades lighter than his and was probably the most handsome guy he had ever seen. He was smiling kindly at him, and assisted him in sitting up from the ground. The woman watched as he did, and he shifted his gaze to her. She seemed to notice and met his eyes with her silver ones. _'Beautiful.'_

He began to observe her a bit more than before. Her pale skin glowed slightly under the moonlight as she exuded an ethereal beauty he had not seen before. What drew the attention of his eyes the most, however, was the auburn hair she had tied back in a bun. _'Almost like moms.'_

"Who are you, boy?" the pretty lady asked him. "Do you remember anything at all?"

Naruto expected this question and smoothly shifted his face into a frown to show confusion.

"I'm… Naruto Uzumaki," he breathed out, making sure to sound as unsure as he possibly could. "Who are you?"

The two looked at each other and seemingly had a silent conversation of their own before the man spoke up.

"I'm Apollo, Naruto. This here's my sister, Artemis."

"You mean like the Sun God, Apollo, and the Moon Goddess, Artemis?"

He chuckled. "Yes, like them. We have much to expl-"

Then, he was interrupted by the man behind them.

"Step aside, Apollo," the man bellowed with a disgusting smirk. "Introduction's over. It's my turn. Get up, _Uzumaki._ "

 _'Rude.'_ Naruto did as he was told and stood up. He dusted himself off before cautiously shifting his stance to a more defensive one.

"And who might you be?" He asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

"I guess I really should introduce myself." The man chuckled loudly. "I am Ares. Yes, like the God of War Ares."

Ares pointed his spear at him. "Now, please fight back."

Ares lunged at him at speeds so fast that if he hadn't been a shinobi, he would've been skewered faster than he could blink. He was a shinobi though, and side-stepped the attack smoothly. If the man was surprised at his dodge, he didn't show it, and planted his heels on the ground to use the momentum he had built up to turn around and swing another strike at Naruto.

" **I've gathered enough, Naruto. Use it!** "

He felt the surge of purified natural energy within him and quickly entered Sage Mode. He half-expected another assault of negative emotions, but it didn't come. He grinned and met the man's spear shaft with his hands.

He caught the spear mid-swing and capitalized on the surprise of his opponent by swinging him into the air. Naruto then jumped to catch up to him before landing a roundhouse kick to send Ares spinning towards the ground.

He deftly landed on his feet before eyeing the small crater that had formed from the impact. The two archers to the side had widened their eyes in disbelief at the speed of which he had been able to dispatch Ares with.

" **Act surprised, kit. Remember the plan.** "

He deliberately widened his eyes and turned to the two. "What the hell happened to me?"

They were as confused as well, and didn't respond as Ares got up from the ground, face twisted in unholy anger.

"You fucking maggot!" he shouted. "I'll make sure you **suffer**!"

Naruto tensed as Ares rushed towards him again, patiently waiting to counter-attack. Ares thrusted his spear towards him, but Naruto dodged and made to land an uppercut at his chin. Ares expected this counter-attack and used his shield to bash Naruto's side in retaliation.

Naruto flew into the air for a bit before he flipped and landed on his feet. He had no time for reprieve as a spear pierced through the air. He leaped to evade it, but Ares was already onto him. The man had materialized a sword that looked similar to the ones in the pictures of that Greek Heroes book and was using it to try and slash him.

Naruto used his arms to deflect some of the attacks, but the blows were strong. Every attack he met with his arms caused a small shockwave that slowly tore apart the area they were fighting in.

" **Finish it now, Naruto!** "

As Kurama shouted from within the seal, Naruto gracefully side-stepped a wild slash from Ares and kicked his shield with all the strength he could muster. The shield contorted around his feet like butter and Ares was sent flying again. Naruto didn't stop there, however: He dashed to Ares and landed an Uzumaki Spinning Heel Drop on him, burying him into the ground and sending debris flying all around them.

* * *

Artemis had been worried for the blonde when Ares had suddenly attacked him. Apollo looked like he was about to intervene when, to their surprise, the blonde had managed to dodge Ares' first strike.

"…Apollo," she called out softly to her brother, who was as stupefied as she was. "Are you sure he isn't possessed anymore?"

He spent a few seconds trying to find words before he said, "I'm sure he isn't, sister."

"He dodged Ares' strike, brother."

"Why are you doubting me now?"

"A mere mortal wouldn't be able to do that."

They watched as Naruto caught Ares' spear and overpowered him easily. His eyes had orange outlines around them, and Artemis noticed how serene nature felt around him. She narrowed her eyes and stared at her brother once more.

"…Yeah, yeah." He sighed. "He's still not possessed, sister. I swear it on the Styx!"

A light boom of thunder signified the oath and Artemis waited for any divine retribution to come down upon Apollo, but no such thing happened. She sighed and erased any doubts.

"Even so, he's definitely not mortal." Artemis stroked her chin as she watched Naruto expressed his confusion at the things he had just done before Ares was upon him again.

"Should we help him, sis?" Apollo asked.

"It doesn't look like he's the one that needs help. Ares is losing."

Ares had never really been the best fighter among the gods. Despite being the God of War, he had been beaten numerous times throughout the ages by mortals and immortals alike. They were no strangers to seeing Ares get his ass handed to him, but this was just humiliating. A man with no godly blood running in his veins giving the God of War a thorough beatdown with such ease.

"Just what is he?" she murmured. The power this man had was something that would definitely warrant the interest of her father and the Olympian Council. She had taken down the fox, which she assumed was the intruder Zeus had felt, and freed him from its control, but it seems that the possession had more than one side-effect besides mild amnesia.

The fact that Zeus had only chosen to watch as she and Apollo fought off and killed the beast only served to increase her confusion. Zeus had been adamant at hunting down the beast, but when they had finally tracked it down, no help came from him at all. Granted, they didn't ask for his help, but still, one would expect him to help with the way he had been acting these past few weeks.

She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts when a crash along with a cloud of dust signaled the probable end of the fight. As the dust settled, the man named Naruto stood just a few meters away from a small crater where Ares was lying unmoving. Her brother's armor had dents all over it. His shield was all but unusable in its current condition, with a part of it torn off and lying a bit further away from the crater.

The blonde hadn't so much as suffered a scratch from their brief fight. Not even the great Heracles had been able to do such a feat in the few tussles he had with the God of War. Surprisingly, he inspected himself in what appeared to be confusion. Artemis suspected that the abilities this man had shown just now were new to him. She noticed Apollo walking towards the blonde and moved to follow.

"Hey, Naruto-man!" Apollo shouted, surprise still evident in his eyes. "What the hell was that?!"

"Oh, uh. I'm not sure myself, umm…" he paused as if trying to recall something. "Apollo, right?"

"Yep. So, how do you feel?"

"Like I'm not myself at all. My body," he raised his arms and inspected them. "It's like I'm a different person now. What happened to me?"

Apollo made to answer, but Artemis beat him to the punch.

"You were possessed, Naruto," she said softly, trying to be as careful as possible when breaking it to him. "By a mythical being. Of what kind, we do not know."

"Mythical? You mean like the Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology things?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes. Like those. You have to understand, Naruto, that Greek mythology is real."

"Really real? Like, Zeus-sitting-on-a-golden-throne-in-Olympus real?"

This man was beginning to get on her nerves. It was like dealing with another Apollo. Speaking of which,

"Yeah, Naruto! Exactly like that. And you do remember our names, right?" Apollo asked, a shit-eating grin present on his face.

"Yeah, you're Apollo and you're… Artemis." A look of realization dawned on him as he opened and closed his mouth like a fish for a few seconds. "You're gods."

"Yep. And the guy you just fucked up?" Apollo pointed at the still unmoving body of Ares in the crater. "That's Ares. God of War. Congrats, kid. You beat a god."

"You have to prepare for the consequences, Naruto," Artemis warned. "Beating a god comes with its own share of problems. Be careful. The abilities you've shown are not for mortals to wield, and some of us do not think lightly of those who overstep their bounds."

"Like what? What'll happen to me now?"

She sighed. "We were tasked with hunting you, but it seems that you were not at fault for a certain transgression you had committed a few weeks ago."

"Wait, what? What did I do?" It was a sincere question. One that erased any lingering doubts she had about his state of mind.

"It matters not. You didn't do it. Our hunt is done." She then looked pointedly towards the crater before continuing. "You defeated a god though. And while it is not our duty to bring you in, the other gods might not think the same."

"Be careful, Naruto. My sister and I are one of the more 'understanding' gods. There are others who are much, much worse."

The blonde just nodded. His eyes were glazed over in what she presumed to be shock. It was expected. Mortals do not take such revelations easily. She shook her head and turned to Apollo.

"Take Ares back to Olympus," she ordered. "We must inform the council of what happened here."

She turned to Naruto again as Apollo made his way to Ares.

"You will not speak of the knowledge you've gained to anyone," she declared sternly, leaving no room for argument. "Endangering the secrecy of the Greek world will be met with severe punishment. Do not forget this."

* * *

_'They really are gods, Kurama.'_

" **Why can't it ever be easy with you, Naruto?** "

_'Oi!'_

" **I mean it, kit. Sometimes I wonder if your insane luck is offset by being such a trouble magnet!** "

After the big revelation that gods and monsters of the greek myths existed in real life, Naruto and Kurama had an emergency meeting inside Naruto's mind. If they were to operate safely in this world, they'd have to avoid drawing the ire of these gods. It's not that they were scared of them. It's just that they'd rather not cause more trouble than they already have by being in a world that isn't theirs.

_'So what do we do now?'_

A pause. " **We ignore them as much as we can. We've shown that we are not hostile towards them, so it's possible that they'll ignore us in turn.** "

_'Is that even possible? If these gods rule the world, we'll be under their sights the entire time!'_

" **I don't think so. They had to track us down, didn't they?** "

As their conversation turned to a lull, Naruto picked up the pretty lady's voice. _'Artemis, huh?'_

"…Endangering the secrecy of the Greek world will be met with severe punishment. Do not forget this."

She crossed arms and raised an eyebrow, which meant she was waiting for Naruto to respond in confirmation to whatever she had ordered.

"Uh, yeah. I understand." He didn't, but Kurama had probably listened to her so it didn't matter. He'd ask him about it later on.

She looked at him intently for a few seconds before she sighed and nodded.

"Good. I really hope you do," said the goddess before moving towards Apollo, who had slung Ares' arms around his shoulders.

"Be well, Naruto. Hopefully, if we meet again, it'll be under better circumstances," Apollo waved with his free hand before disappearing in a brilliant flash of golden light.

"I hope we don't meet again. Remember my warning, Naruto." She nodded at him before she disappeared as well, a silvery mist taking her place.

"…Well, that went well." He chuckled.

" **You think?** "

They surveyed the destruction they had caused in the area before shrugging and made to leave the park. A loud boom of thunder sounded from the skies just then. With the recent knowledge of gods and goddesses, Naruto could only guess that the cause of such a phenomenon was Zeus.

* * *

Artemis hated council meetings. The near incessant squabbling between the gods and goddesses over trivial matters never failed to annoy her. It also didn't help that Zeus would almost always let these run their course before calling for order in the council.

" **Silence!** " bellowed the King of the Gods. "Cease your squabbling lest you warrant my wrath. This council meeting has now commenced!"

All the Olympians present in the meeting quieted down and bowed their heads slightly to Zeus.

"Apollo, Artemis, give your report."

The twins shared a look before stepping forward. They knelt down to show respect to Zeus before taking their place in the center of the room.

"Father, I have completed my hunt. The culprit who had intruded into your domain has been killed," Artemis spoke respectfully.

"And what of the identity of this 'culprit' you've killed?" Zeus inquired, resting his chin upon his palms.

Apollo looked at Artemis before meeting their father's gaze. "The culprit was a nature spirit that took the form of a fox. It didn't seem to have a connection with Gaea, other than the natural energy it seemed to produce."

"A fox?" Zeus repeated incredulously.

"Yes, father. It had possessed a mortal named Naruto Uzumaki, but we were able to free him from its grasps and destroy it." Apollo replied, body tensing nervously.

At the sound of that name, no one noticed Athena as she flinched. _'Naruto? '_

"Oh? And where is this mortal?" Everyone in the room could now see Zeus' interest in the mortal.

Artemis hesitated, which let Apollo beat her to the punch and replied, "He is alive and well, father. The possession affected him in more ways than one, but the spirit that inhabited him is truly gone."

"And Ares?"

That question froze the twins. The absence of Ares hadn't been noticed by most council members. It wasn't rare for the bloodthirsty god to skip out on a couple of meetings so they didn't mind as much, but if Zeus had been expecting him to be present, something must have gone wrong for him not to be.

"He… He engaged the mortal in a battle," Artemis responded. "Ares appeared after we had just finished off the spirit and attempted to kill the man named Naruto."

Confusion rapidly spread among the council. If Ares had fought the mortal, then where was he? Did he not win? Needless to say, the council was now intrigued.

"That doesn't answer my question, daughter," Zeus softly said, eyes narrowed as he stared at his children.

"The mortal defeated him in combat, father," Apollo finally blurted out. "Ares is currently recovering in his temple."

When this piece of news made their way into the minds of the gods and goddesses in attendance, the whole council exploded.

"That imbecile got his ass handed to him again, huh?" Hephaestus murmured as he chuckled loudly which made Aphrodite glare at him. This only served to increase his joy, as he transitioned into full-blown laughter.

As the noise in the council reached its highest, Zeus exhaled audibly and called for order once again.

" **Enough.** " He thundered. "If Ares has been beaten by the mortal, why are you two left unharmed?"

The twins gained a look of confusion as they briefly glanced at each other.

"Father, I'm afraid I don't understand," Artemis responded. "It wasn't our duty to kill the mortal. We were to only determine whether the beast who intruded upon your domain is of Gaea's spawn or not."

"Is that so?" Zeus voiced out, sarcasm laid heavily upon his words. "A mortal with enough power to defeat a god, an Olympian no less, and you think it's not your duty to do so?"

"…" Artemis couldn't respond. The power in her father's voice saturated the atmosphere of the council room. The tension was palpable as the other Olympians watched in silence.

Then, Apollo took a step forward and bent his knees.

"We did not deign him to be a threat, Lord Zeus."

"Yet I did, which is why I sent Ares. Did he not inform you of this?"

Apollo bit his lip. "He did, father, bu-"

"Then **explain** to me you didn't step in to detain him! **Explain** why you only stood and watched as he defeated a fellow god, **your brother**!"

Artemis and Apollo trembled as the rage of their father shook Olympus. Thunderstorms could be heard raging all around the skies outside the council room.

"Brother, calm down," Poseidon calmly chided. "They clearly thought the man was innocent. Trust the judgment of your children."

Zeus' face constricted in restrained anger for a split second before softening to a resigned look. He observed the others who had witnessed his brief fit. Most were wide-eyed and tensed. Everyone, even Dionysus, was awake and fully alert.

He sighed. "I apologize for my outburst. Let's get back to the issue at hand."

"Of course, father," Artemis responded weakly.

Zeus nodded. "Explain this mortal's abilities. How did he defeat Ares?"

Artemis searched her memories for a moment before she spoke.

"He defeated Ares with pure hand-to-hand combat. He didn't seem to have retained the magical capabilities of the fox spirit that possessed him, but his raw strength alone can be compared to Heracles himself."

This raised a few eyebrows in the council.

"But you have yet to call him a demigod. Is he not one of godly blood, Artemis?" Poseidon inquired.

She bit her lip and hesitated, as if unsure of the answer she had, before responding, "I felt no such godliness in his blood. He is definitely not a demigod. If he is of godly origin, then he is not one of ours."

Apollo had gotten up from his knees and turned to Poseidon as well. "The spirit's possession has left its mark on him, uncle. He has clearly gained its strength."

"And you're sure you killed this spirit?"

Artemis looked annoyed at the doubt in his voice, but quickly masked her emotions. "Yes, uncle. I delivered the killing blow myself."

Poseidon stared at the two for a brief moment before reluctantly nodding and relented.

Zeus raised his hands and the attention was drawn to him once more. "Now we decide what to do with the mortal. Speak your thoughts, fellow Olympians!"

At Zeus' behest, the members of the council looked around to see if anyone is willing to voice out their opinion. A few shuffled anxiously as if they had something to say, but no one made a move to go first.

Suddenly, Athena stood up.

"Father, if I may," she spoke her first words since the beginning of the meeting. "I would recommend just keeping an eye on this Naruto."

"Oh? Explain your reasoning, daughter." Zeus gestured for her to continue.

"It appears as though this mortal has no ties to the mythical world. If we are to play our hand correctly, we may yet draw him into our side."

At this suggestion, most of the council nodded in agreement with a few abstaining from reacting. No one disagreed with the statement, however, as Zeus mulled on it.

"A sound idea. How do you suggest we do this?" Zeus inquired.

"I suggest we send one of ours to keep an eye on him. And if possible, try to steer his loyalty to our cause."

Once again, this was well-received by the council. It would do them a favor by alleviating Zeus' paranoia if the mortal is kept under watch, and even more if he chooses to side with Olympus.

"I see. Then so be it," Zeus exclaimed with finality. "The mortal will be kept under watch. We will also actively attempt to draw him into our side."

He looked over the council members before settled his eyes on Artemis, who had since taken a seat after finishing her report.

"Artemis, you shall be tasked with keeping an eye on him on a personal level. Ensure that he maintains the secrecy of our existence. You shall also be tasked with bringing him under Olympus' banner." He then turned his eyes to Apollo. "Apollo, you shall watch over them at all times. You are to serve as a back-up for your sister if she ever needs it."

Artemis widened her eyes as anger flooded her system. She didn't see why she had to be the one to watch over that man like some warden. She had been separated from her hunt for far too long now. It also didn't help that he was just that. A _man_.

"Father, with all due respect, please reconsider," she pleaded. "My hunters need me. I cannot accept such a task that would separate me from them indefinitely, and with a man no less!"

"This is an order, Artemis!" Zeus boomed. "Think of this as punishment for disregarding the safety of your fellow Olympian. Apollo!"

At the sound of his name, Apollo flinched. He reluctantly tore his eyes off the floor and met his father's gaze. "Yes, father."

"Do you understand your task?"

"Of course, father. By your will." _'Damn it, sis. Just do as he says!'_

Zeus shifted his piercing gaze to Artemis and narrowed his eyes.

"And you, Artemis?" he asked. "Do you understand?"

She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth before relenting and as she breathed out, any trace of emotion on her face had been cleared.

"I understand, Lord Zeus."

"If I may, father," Athena spoke up, much to the surprise of those in attendance. "I do not think Artemis is suited to the task of drawing in that man's loyalty."

This remark blindsided Artemis as she shot a scathing glare at her sister, but Athena just looked at her meaningfully. _'Relax. I'm trying to help.'_

This silent reassurance from her somewhat calmed Artemis down as Zeus turned to Athena.

"And who do you think is? Aphrodite?" At his flippant suggestion, Athena's eyes twitched, though no one really noticed.

"Aphrodite is just as likely to turn him against us, given her tendency to force mortals into sleeping with her," Athena responded, ignoring the scandalized look said love goddess gave her.

"I would like to nominate myself as the diplomat. I think that among all of us, I would have the best chance of succeeding in this task."

No one in the council, not even Poseidon, could disagree with her reasoning. She wasn't called the Greek Goddess of Wisdom for nothing after all.

Zeus nodded his head in confirmation and said, "Then so it shall. Artemis and Apollo shall watch him at all times, and you shall turn him to our side. Good. Is that all?"

When no one else voiced their opinions, Zeus sighed and addressed them all. "Then you are dismissed. Be vigilant."

He raised his hand and disappeared into a cloud of electricity. One by one, the other Olympians followed him, leaving behind Apollo, Artemis, and Athena.

Apollo sighed. "I'll go check up on Ares, sis. Let's talk later, 'kay?"

Artemis didn't respond, only choosing to nod her head. In a bright flash, Apollo had left the room, leaving only her and Athena, who was making her way to her throne.

"Sister," Athena greeted warmly. "An eventful meeting, is it not?"

Artemis frowned and turned to look at her. "Why'd you help me, Athena?"

She sighed and smiled resignedly, "It wouldn't do well for you to lose your temper here. As for your question, I just didn't want you to fail."

"I _never_ fail, sister," she bit out.

"But you would've. Do you really think _you_ can sway a _man_ into siding with you? The maiden goddess who was known for turning men into wild animals just for stumbling upon your camp?"

Artemis tried to find words to retort with, but she couldn't. Her sister was right.

She lowered her head, avoiding Athena's eyes. "Thank you, sister," she muttered softly.

Athena waved her hand dismissively towards her. "Don't worry about it. Just focus on watching over him and leave the diplomatic tasks to me, okay?"

"I understand."

* * *

February 4, a Tuesday. It was Naruto's first day in university, and he was excited. Yes. Naruto was excited to go to school. But he wasn't excited to go to school because he wanted to learn. Oh no. He was excited because Athelia would be accompanying him on his first day.

Naruto had a tiny crush on her. Scratch that, Naruto had a **huge** crush on her. So huge that Kurama would not be at fault for thinking Naruto's priorities might be compromised.

"… **Naruto. You sure seem excited,** " said Kurama, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

"Of course I am, Kurama! It's my first day at school and someone's going to be there with me!" Naruto's smile was as wide as it could possibly be. He was all but bouncing on his feet in excitement. During his first time attending the academy, he had been jealous of the other kids and how they had their parents to accompany them around. Meanwhile, he had to face the anxiety and embarrassment of coming to school and meeting with other kids alone. It was lonely.

"… **I see.** " Kurama didn't have it in him to remind Naruto of their main objective in this world. It also didn't help that it was because of him that Naruto never experienced this kind of thing before. Guiltily, he dropped the subject and filed it away for later. " **Just remember the plan, kit. Learn up on Greek mythology as much as possible.** "

"Yeah, yeah. You don't have to keep telling me, furball," Naruto droned on as he finished his cup of instant ramen, grabbed his jacket, and went out the door.

He walked through the streets of New York City, observing the people he was passing by. He turned to a corner and made to cross the street when he suddenly felt a presence observing him. He looked to his left and saw a familiar-looking girl with auburn hair and silver eyes.

" **Artemis. Why is she here?** " Kurama muttered from within the seal. " **Keep your guard up, Naruto. Wake me up if you need me.** "

He met her stare with his own and began walking towards her. She didn't move from her spot even as Naruto stopped just a meter away from her.

"Artemis?" He greeted with uncertainty. He and Kurama had decided that associating with these beings were more trouble than they were worth, so they've decided to just try to ignore them and focus on finding a way out of this world. If they did encounter them again, the plan was to not draw too much attention.

"Naruto," she greeted curtly and nodded.

Naruto felt awkward. He had made his way to her to ask her what she was doing here, but she just exuded such an untouchable presence that he couldn't find the right words to say. Rubbing the back of his head, he just threw caution away and improvised.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "You look different."

Artemis was wearing a silver coat with a plain black t-shirt inside, along with faded grey jeans and sneakers. An extremely different outfit from the one she was wearing the day before.

"Observing," she answered.

If he wasn't unnerved by her stare before, he was now. He shook it off and sighed.

"Okay...? Well, I'm going to school now, so have fun with that!"

He turned around and resumed his walk to the university but after a few steps, he stopped in his tracks and looked behind him. Artemis had followed him. He raised an eyebrow at this but ignored it and started moving again. Alas, so did she. If he took a step forward, she took a step forward. If he stopped, she stopped. She kept the same distance as they had before, never coming nearer nor farther than that.

After a couple of minutes, Naruto turned around. He was pretty annoyed now. _'Is this what Sasuke felt back in the academy?'_

"Okay, look. Can you please tell me why you're following me like a stalker?" He asked. "You're a goddess! Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I do," she answered, no emotion from her face whatsoever.

Naruto glared at her and when it seemed like she had no intention of answering any of his questions, he turned around before huffing and walking a lot faster this time. Unfortunately, so did she. This continued until Naruto arrived at the designated rendezvous point set by Athelia when she had accompanied him to enroll.

He checked his watch and absentmindedly noted that he was early by about three minutes. He looked behind and saw Artemis sitting on another bench, still watching him. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, _'Calm down, Naruto. She's a goddess. You don't want to pick a fight with them.'_

As the clock ticked down to 8:00 AM, he began to look around for any sight of Athelia.

"Hi, Naruto," he heard a voice from his right and turned to see Athelia. He smiled. _'As beautiful as ever.'_

"There you are, Thelia! Just in time," he chuckled exuberantly as he jokingly tapped his watch. "You ready?"

She laughed. "I should be asking you that question, you know?"

"Well, you know me. I'm always ready!"

He stood up and walked by Athelia's side as they made their way to Naruto's first day. They didn't notice the wide-eyed goddess who had watched their interaction just a few meters away.

"So how have you been these past three days?" Athelia inquired. "Anything interesting?"

"Oh, you know. The same thing I do every day," he answered. _'Meeting and fighting gods.'_ "Oh, I'm also looking for a job now! Need to pay rent and all that."

"Is that so? What kind of job are you thinking of?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll be sure to tell you when I find out! Oh, and have you heard abo..."

* * *

Artemis had just watched as Naruto and Athena made small talk with each other. _'Athelia, huh? Real subtle, sister.'_

The way Naruto felt comfortable around her sister, it almost seemed like they've known each other for quite a while now. Artemis would have to talk to her sister later. For now though, she would be attending _school_.

When she had met Athena after their conversation in the council room, they had discussed with each other the best course of action when observing the mortal. They(Athena) had concluded that for Artemis to be able to properly watch Naruto at all times, the easiest way would be to attend the same school as him. It had taken a few persuasive remarks from Athena before she had agreed to the plan.

She would take the same program as him – BS in Applied Psychology, take the same classes as him and join any extra-curricular activities that he would join. In short, she would have to become his stalker.

Athena had adamantly warned her from actively approaching Naruto, however. 'Leave it to me' she said. And while Artemis didn't mind it at all, and was even thankful for it, it did seem a bit suspicious.

"Could it be?" she muttered.

The few times Athena would act this way was when she had found a suitable partner to make a brain-child with. It was odd though. From what she knew, Athena never got as close to them as she was now with Naruto. Suspicious indeed.

"Ms. Selena." She was interrupted by her professor, who had just called her name out. "It's your turn to introduce yourself. Please, come up front."

The old man smiled, probably to try and make her feel comfortable, but she ignored it and wordlessly got up to take her place in front of the class.

She saw Naruto a few rows from the back giving her a thumbs up. It was their first class of the day. After Athena had walked away with Naruto, she followed them for a while before she got bored and made her way to this classroom. They had arrived just before the bell rang, and Naruto's over the top reaction upon seeing her almost made her chuckle. Almost.

"My name is Phoebe Selena," she said, trying to recall how her classmates had done their introductions while absentmindedly staring at Naruto's spiky blonde hair. "I come from a Greek family. I am 18 years old. That is all I'm willing to share. Thank you."

She bowed and turned to her professor, who had a confused look on his face as he alternated his gaze between her and Naruto, who looked flustered, a few times before sighing.

"Take a seat, Ms. Selena. Also, class, I'm not against you guys having a relationship but, " he scratched his cheek awkwardly as he gave a pointed look at her before directing it to Naruto. "Please try to rein it in until after class ends, please?"

Artemis gained a look of confusion and tried to recall if she said something wrong. She had only spoken her piece and stared at Naruto the entire time, which by the way was because he was the only one she had been acquainted with.

"Oh." She resisted the urge to palm her face as she sat back down to her seat. She sneaked a glance at Naruto, who was still flustered. He seemed to notice her gaze and blushed a bit more before intentionally avoiding it. She sighed and stood up, aiming to nip this issue in the bud before it could even begin.

"Mr. Willis, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I am not in a relationship with Mr. Uzumaki," she declared before taking her seat once again, blocking their voices from her mind as she instead thought back to her hunters.

"O-oh, I had thought… Ah, whatever. Next up, Mr. Summers!"

She just hoped that this task would end soon. She hated studying.

* * *

Naruto stretched his muscles as he got out of a convenience store. He had just come from an eventful day at school. In his hand was a paper bag filled to the brim with instant ramen. He began making his way back to his apartment, looking at a few stores and trying to find any that were looking for new employees. _'I need a job. The police are starting to search for robbers when my money-shadow clones dispelled.'_

Naruto had, until recently, been using his shadow clones to transform them into money bills and used them to buy stuff. He didn't think of what would happen if they began poofing out of existence. The police were now in high alert after a large amount of money disappeared in a literal puff of smoke overnight.

Since Naruto didn't want to cause any further trouble, he had decided to look for a part-time job. He hasn't found one yet, but it's only been a day. There's bound to be more. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself.

As Naruto passed by a liquor store, he suddenly noticed a familiar looking old man exiting the store. He squinted his eyes and saw that it was _that_ old man. The one that took care of him.

"Oi, old man! Wait up!" Naruto called over as he caught up to him, still cradling the paper bag.

The old man turned to look at him and as he got nearer, the old man's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Oh, it's you! The kid from before!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, old man! I'm actually studying here in the city now," Naruto answered, stopping a foot away from him. "What about you? And what's your name, old man?"

"Heh. I work in the city, kid. Name's Owen. Owen Reeves." He held out his hand and Naruto shook it joyfully.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I never got to thank you for what you did before." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, grinning as he did.

"Don't worry about it. I like helping kids. You said you study in the city now?"

"Yep. NYU! I also live right around the block."

"Ah, I see. So what happened? Last we met, you couldn't speak English to save your life." He joked, and Naruto laughed nervously.

"Ah, well you see," he stumbled on his words for a bit before Owen chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. I was kidding. So what are you doing out this late?"

"Oh! I was looking for a job actually."

Owen nodded. "Have you found one?"

"Uhm, no. Not yet," Naruto shrugged and sighed. "It's kinda hard to look for a job around here. Especially for a kid like me."

Owen stroked his chin and eyed Naruto curiously. "Say, you wouldn't mind working in a bar, would you?"

 _'A bar?'_ Naruto tilted his head. "A bar? Like a bartender?"

Owen shook his head and chuckled. "No, nothing of that sort just yet. You'd be cleaning the place, washing the dishes, that sort of thing."

"Oh, I guess that could work? You know a place, old man?" he inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I **own** a place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, all of you, for reading this story!


	5. Naruto and Artemis

**AN: This will be where I will be posting the dates that the chapter will be taking place on, to provide more clarity. I might update the old chapters to include this soon.**

**DATE: February 11, 1997 - February 13, 1997  
** **TUESDAY - THURSDAY**

* * *

"Alright, class! Now that we've finished the introductions week, it's time for the fun part. Projects!" Professor Willis chirped jubilantly, grin widening even more at the sound of the groans of his pupils as he picked up a few papers from his desk and distributed them to each column. "This will be done in pairs, so find yourselves with a partner and get to it. The submission will be on Friday!"

It had been about a week since class had started, and more and more professors have been giving out work for students to finally do. Naruto took his assigned paper from the outstretched hands of the student in front of him. As the bell rang, the students got up and began looking for a partner. Naruto bit his lip as he got off his chair and made his way to Artemis, who was also blankly looking at him.

"Uhh, hey Artemis," he began, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head. "You wanna pair up with me?"

She looked at him dryly, as if the answer to his question was obvious, and replied, "Did you even have to ask?"

Naruto had prepared to be rejected instantly, but her reply made him do a double-take as his eyes widened. "Wait, what? Was that a yes?"

"Of course we'll pair up, Naruto. You never had a choice in the first place."

She sighed and motioned for Naruto to come closer. As he did, she whispered, "And if you did try to pair up with someone else, I'd just use my powers to make everyone think you paired up with me instead."

"…Okay! So how do we do this?" He forced a smile, though inside he was pretty shaken. _'She can be reaaally scary.'_

Artemis looked over the papers she and Naruto were given and shook her head. "I have no idea. I'll be trusting you to guide us through this, Mister Uzumaki." She tried to keep a straight face as she jokingly bowed her head, but in the end, she couldn't help but laughed lightly.

Naruto froze in shock as Artemis laughed. Her silvery laugh along with the way her face shifted in amusement made its waves in his mind and he couldn't help but think of how beautiful she seemed. _'Perfect. Then again, she is a goddess after all.'_

Artemis noticed his pause and stopped laughing. She narrowed her eyes. "Why do I feel like poking you with an arrow, Naruto?"

He was shaken out of his stupor by the threat and frantically shook his head. "W-wait, no! I didn't do anything!"

"Really?"

"Really! A-anyways, focus on the project! What's the plan?"

She stroked her chin and seemingly thought deeply on it before she answered, "I really don't know. I don't listen to any of the lectures at all."

Naruto facepalmed. Hard. _'Just my luck. A deadbeat goddess! Is this how Sakura and the others felt with me?'_

"I thought gods were supposed to know everything?!" He whispered accusingly, pointing at Artemis.

"Don't be stupid, Naruto. That's Athena's job." She answered flippantly, not even deigning to look at him as she did.

Naruto growled. _'Calm down, Naruto! She's a goddess. She's a goddess. She's a goddess. She's a goddess!'_

He sighed and scratched his cheek before hefting his bag over his shoulders. "Fine, whatever. Do you at least have anything I can call you with?"

"I'm a goddess, Naruto. Just call my name and, if it's important, I'll be there."

"Right. I'll call you if I figure anything out. Later!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Naruto turned around and made his way out of the room. He and Athelia had plans to eat lunch together today, and he won't let one lazy goddess ruin his mood.

* * *

Naruto looked at the paper he was holding before looking back up to the building in front of him.

"The Blank, huh?" he muttered. He slapped his cheeks lightly and breathed out. "Right! Let's do it!"

He entered the building and was immediately assaulted by the smell of cookies and coffee. He saw Owen serving a tray of cookies and milk to a young girl, about the age of nine by the looks of it. _'Wait. I thought this was a bar?'_

"Oi, old man! I'm here!" He shouted.

The old man, Owen, looked at him and smiled. "Oh, Naruto. How's your day?"

Naruto sighed and walked to the counter. "Oh, you know. Boring school stuff."

Owen chuckled and ruffled the hair of the young girl before turning to Naruto and made his way to the back of the counter.

"Yeah, I can only imagine. So," he wiped a few of the used glasses on the counter and eyed Naruto curiously. "You here for the job?"

Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, if you'll have me."

He looked around the place and briefly observed the little girl Owen had served a moment ago before turning back to him and asked, "I thought this was a bar? Who's the girl?"

"Heh. It might look like a bar, but no one really comes here to get drunk, kid." Owen smiled lightly despite what he had just said. "As for the girl, she's someone who needed help once. Now she visits regularly."

"Needed help?" he repeated. He looked at the girl once more. She was oblivious to their conversation, choosing to enjoy the cookies Owen had served her. A few strands of her brown hair popped out from her hood, and her eyes were a vibrant red. She seemed happy enough, but Naruto knew better than most about what could be hidden inside a person's true feelings.

"Yep. The same way you needed help back then when, you know."

Naruto made a face of understanding and nodded, turning to Owen again.

"I see. But wait," he paused, confusion taking over as he mulled over one thing. "If no one comes here to drink, how do you earn money?"

Owen laughed. The sheer intensity of his laugh only served to confuse Naruto even further. "Oh man, that never gets old."

"Huh? What?"

"I don't earn money from this bar, kid," he answered with a grin, eyes full of mirth boring into Naruto's puzzled ones.

"…What?" His features shifted from confusion into sheer disbelief, eyes widening hilariously.

"Then why did you offer me a job?!"

"Just because I don't earn money from this dump, doesn't mean I don't _have_ money, kid," he answered, clearly enjoying the rollercoaster of emotions Naruto had just gone through.

"Huh?"

"I own this place, which means I don't pay rent to a landlord. The other fees are paid for by the Hearth Charity Organization. I get my allowance from the donations they give out once every few months. I literally only earn."

"Hearth Charity…?"

"Yeah, they've been helping me a lot throughout the years ever since they found out I've been helping out homeless children. They're the reason why this _bar_ is anything but that."

"Oooh. That's convenient."

"Tell me about it. Remember, kid, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Ah, gimme a sec, 'kay?" He sighed and as he finished cleaning up the glasses and putting them back into their proper storage, he took a seat beside Naruto.

"So," He placed his hands on the counter and smiled at Naruto. "You ready for the job?"

"Oh, umm." Naruto shook a few irrelevant thoughts away from his mind and nodded resolutely. "Definitely. So what do I do?"

"Heh. Well, you can start by cleaning up after the little miss there. Come to the back once you're done."

He looked back to where the girl had been sitting and found that she had left.

"Where'd she go? Isn't it a bit late for someone like her to go outside alone?"

"Beats me. I used to offer to take her home but she never accepts. She said she lives nearby, though. Don't think about it too much. Just get to work!"

He looked back worriedly to the now-vacant seat of the girl before he sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Got it, boss."

* * *

"Finally," Naruto breathed out. He had just finished his shift working for Owen, who was a slave driver in all but name.

It seems that the past couple of decades working alone had made the owner of the bar extremely ecstatic at finally having an employee. He was worked to the bone, being ordered to carry and rearrange everything from the stocks to the tables that he wanted to be placed in a different spot.

After five hours of non-stop hard labor, Owen had allowed him to leave, giving him a bundle of cash and forced him to keep it, saying, 'think of it as gratitude for doing everything I told you to do.'

Naruto walked down the now-familiar streets of Manhattan as he made his way to his apartment building. He was thinking about the project due on Friday when his eyes caught a colorful store signage that signified that the store was still open this late into the evening. It was a thrift store, and various apparels of different styles were lined up in the shop.

 _'Maybe I should buy new clothes for the date…?'_ He felt his pockets for the bundle of cash he now had, and wordlessly walked into the store. _'I should.'_

Inside, he found that the store was even bigger than he had thought. Walls were lined up with various pieces of clothing, and the lines of clothing he had seen from the outside stretched even further into the back of the store.

The one employee manning the store didn't seem to care when he entered, so he took that as a sign that the store was definitely open.

_'What should I even wear? A suit, maybe?'_

With his first lead, he looked around for the suits section in the massive room. A couple of minutes later, he found it in the furthest left from the entrance. He eyed the price tags taped onto the section and sighed. The prices were extremely affordable, and he had cash to spare. As he browsed through the articles of clothing, he stumbled upon an orange suit jacket. _'Alright!'_

He picked it up and inspected it. It had a simple, but elegant blanket plaid pattern, giving the suit a dignified and elegant look, at least to Naruto. The jacket is the same length all around, it had vents at either side, there are two pockets on one side, one pocket on the other and breast pocket.

He was about to look for a changing room to try the suit on when a cough from behind startled him.

"What are you doing?" a female voice asked.

Naruto was startled and turned around. He sighed when he saw who the voice belonged to. Artemis, arms crossed and brows raised, was looking at him dryly.

"Did you really have to surprise me like that? Honestly," Naruto muttered before scratching his cheek and blushing lightly. "I'm looking for new clothes."

"Oh? If you're looking for new clothes, why are you holding an abomination in your hands?" she asked pointedly, though her slight smirk betrayed her amusement at the sight of the hideous orange suit jacket.

"Oi! This jacket is great!"

"An orange jacket? Great? Really, Naruto?"

"It's not that bad! I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"Excuse me, please tone it down? It's really getting late for such noises, sweetie." The cashier chided him. She didn't even look up from the magazine she was reading as she did.

"Sorry, ma'am." He complied, sticking his tongue out to Artemis, who just rolled her eyes.

"What do you even need the clothes for? A date?"

At the mention of the date, Naruto became fidgety. Another light blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Ah, n-no! I just wanted some new choices is all!" he tried to hide it, but Artemis just shook her head in amusement.

"Yeah, and I'm definitely not the moon goddess. You suck at lying, Naruto."

"No I don't!"

"And you're as childish as they come," she added jokingly, sighing in disappointment. "Men."

"I don't want to hear that from you!" he retorted. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Oh, that. I saw you entering this store. I just followed you in."

"…Okay? But why would you follow me in?"

"Why wouldn't I follow you in?"

"…"

Naruto eyed her weirdly. Truthfully, he was more than a bit creeped out by how this 'goddess' seemed to be stalking him. First, she appears to have enrolled in his university. She's even in the same class too. Then, she follows him inside a sketchy store late into the night.

"You're not stalking me, are you?" he asked nervously.

"Is it not obvious? I'm definitely stalking you."

"…Why?"

She sighed. "Orders from Olympus. That's all you need to know. Who's the unfortunate girl you've set your eyes on?"

"Oi!"

"Let me guess. It's that pretty girl from Peace and Conflict Studies, isn't it?"

Naruto blushed. Busted. "N-no! Why would you think that?!"

She just stared at him blankly as he shifted uncomfortably.

"Okay, fine! Yeah, she's the girl." He reluctantly gave up the truth, face reddening even more in embarrassment, before glaring back at her. "How'd you even know about her?!"

"Are you dense? I've been observing you since day one, Naruto."

"…Please stop. Also, stay away from her, ya hear?" He exaggeratedly rolled up his sleeves in an attempt to mockingly intimidate Artemis. "If you do any of those godly illusion techniques, I'll get really mad!"

She waved dismissively at him. "Of course. So you're planning on wearing an orange suit to your date?"

"Is that bad?"

"If you think it's good that she'll feel embarrassed being seen with an orange suit-wearing idiot like you, then no. It's not that bad."

"Oi, take that back! And orange isn't that bad. It's bright, like me!"

"No, Naruto. It's definitely bad."

"And how would you know? All you wear is silver!" he points accusingly at her, but she just scoffs it off.

"I'm a goddess. We're supposed to know everything."

"B-but you said that was Athena's job!"

"What? I don't recall saying that?" She comically widened her eyes in mock surprise at Naruto's retort, but it falls apart as she started chuckling.

"Grr, stop messing with me," he growled half-heartedly. _'This woman's gonna be the death of me, I swear.'_

"Whatever. So if you think you know better, then what _should_ I wear?" He crossed his arms and glared challengingly at Artemis.

"Well, first off," she began. She snatched the hideous piece of clothing from Naruto's hand before he could react and disintegrated it right in front of him, much to his dismay. "No orange."

"What did you do?!" he shouted in anger.

"Sweetie, any more noise and I'll have to ask you to leave, is that clear?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. I'm sorry!" He apologized to the cashier who was now manicuring her fingernails, before he shook his hands menacingly at Artemis and mouthed, 'I'll get you for this!'

She ignored him and turned around, motioning for him to follow. "Come. I'll show you why you should never challenge a goddess."

* * *

Artemis eyed Naruto as he exited the changing room wearing the pieces of clothing she had picked out for him during the last hour or so. He was now wearing a plain shirt and On top of the shirt was a chic vest with 7 buttons.

The jacket she had picked out for him was a perfectly tailored fit. It had a stylish casual look, with the fabric being a plain black. His pants were of the same simple black fabric like his jacket. The 4 buttons of his single-breasted jacket had been left unbuttoned, as per her instructions, and gave him a more casual look.

She nodded in satisfaction. "There. Now you look less of a wild beast and a bit more like a proper human."

"Do you really have to insult me every time?" he sighed. He had to agree though, Artemis was much, much better than him at this. "Doesn't this seem a bit weird for you to be good at? I thought you hated men? Why are you so good at this?"

"I think most people forget who I have for a brother," she sighed. Her brother was… eccentric. He was always ahead of his time when it came to fashion trends. "If you live with him as your sibling for a few thousand years, you're bound to pick something up."

"Apollo does seem a bit odd sometimes," he said. The blonde man always seemed so upbeat and outgoing. He really was the sun itself personified.

"Don't let him hear that from _you_. Anyways, I think we're done here." She was satisfied with her work, even if it was with a man. It took a bit more effort to get it done, but her sister would definitely love his outfit. Hopefully, Athena can count this as her favor being repaid in full.

Naruto hummed in content at how comfortable the clothes seemed to fit him and looked to Artemis.

"Thank you for this, really," he said, eyes filled with immense gratitude before he grinned impishly. "You know, you might really annoy me sometimes, but you truly do make a good friend. For a goddess."

Artemis frowned and scoffed at his words. "Don't get any ideas. Who said we're friends? I'm only doing this because you challenged me, nothing else."

She didn't know why, but she _really_ wanted to punch that grin off his face. It was making her feel uncomfortable, and she didn't like being uncomfortable at all.

"Yeah, yeah," he said resignedly. He didn't push any further and just turned towards the cashier. She might just punch his lights out if he did."Right then. I'll go pay for this now."

She nodded and went ahead of him, making her way towards the door. A few minutes later and Naruto followed suit, carrying two paper bags of clothing. He saw her and made his way just a couple of steps in front of her.

"So now that _that's_ over with, what now?" He asked offhandedly as he started walking aimlessly through the empty streets, with Artemis following in stride. "Oh, I know! We can do the project!"

"…" Artemis looked at the moon above them, her chariot being driven by her godly will. She sighed. "I guess I have the time. "

Naruto grinned. "Great! And I just happen to know the perfect place for an all-nighter, too."

"If you even dare suggest your apartment, I will shoot you where you stand."

He scoffed. "As if. I'm not _that_ stupid."

"Ah, but you _are_ stupid," she said calmly before her eyes turned harsh. "Lead the way. But if you ever so much as do something suspicious, you won't live to regret it."

"Alright, geez! You don't have to say it like that, y'know?" he retorted.

He was promptly ignored by the goddess, who only motioned for him to start. "Go on."

As Naruto led Artemis through the streets of Manhattan, he absentmindedly looked at the moon of this world. He didn't have great experiences with moons, especially considering how Madara had used one to trap the world in an eternal illusion. But the moon of this world was beautiful. He sneaked a glance at the goddess who was _that_ moon personified. _'It's really beautiful.'_

Then, a sudden question came to his mind. "Hey, Artemis," he called out.

She looked at him questioningly. "What now?"

"I've been wondering," he said, pointing at the moon above. "If you're here, then who's up there?"

"Me," she deadpanned.

"Ah, right. Gods. So how does it feel?"

* * *

The amount of time Artemis had spent talking to men in the last four millennia combined would probably still not be as much as the time she has already spent talking to the blonde beside her. He just doesn't shut up at all. It baffled Artemis that she was so amicable to the idea of spending time with him, even if it was an order from Olympus. She could barely stand Apollo, yet here she was, tolerating a mortal who was even more of a buffoon than him.

It also surprised her how she didn't really mind his disrespect towards her. At first, she had held her temper in because of her mission to observe him, and to assist Athena's efforts. Now, she rather enjoyed their banter every so often. He would never look at her with lustful eyes like most other mortals do, nor does he show any tendencies of acting like a pig. For someone to look so much like Apollo to be the complete opposite of him, sans the stupidity, it amused her endlessly.

"…so if that's the case, then wouldn't introducing mortals to your world help curb the amount of monsters?" Naruto had been spit firing questions after questions since they started walking, with her answering a couple that she was allowed to divulge absentmindedly.

"Not all mortals can see monsters, Naruto," she answered. "And with the advent of science, belief in myths and religion are slowly fading."

"But you said that once people forget a god's existence, they fade away. Wouldn't it make you guys more powerful if more people believed you exist?"

"It's not that easy," she sighed. "Not all mortals are able to comprehend the existence of what they deemed to be fantasies and myths. They fear what they do not understand, and that makes them dangerous."

"You make it sound like you _fear_ them discovering your world."

"Your kind are… formidable creatures. If humanity gains knowledge of the mythical world, they might someday just figure out a way to remove us from power."

Naruto smiled. Humans did have a habit of doing the impossible. Even back in their world, if you told Naruto three years ago that he would beat the primordial goddess of chakra, he would've laughed at you before you can even finish saying the entire thing. He did, though. With the help of Team 7, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had beaten, by a group of mortals no less. Granted, shinobi really couldn't be considered _normal_ humans.

He looked up to the building's signage in front of them and stopped. "We're here."

Artemis was shaken out of her 'auto-pilot' mode as Naruto turned his head towards her with a grin. She saw the building in front of them and flinched slightly. _'Oh no.'_

"Welcome to 'The Blank'! It's where I'm working now, see?" he declared cheekily and didn't seem to have noticed what had just happened to her. He made his way to the entrance, as Artemis debated on whether to leave or not.

In the end, she sighed and followed. It wouldn't do well for her job if she just upped and left Naruto here. It would be suspicious too, and would probably lead to more questions than she'd like. She braced herself for what was to come.

"Oi, old man! I'm back!" Naruto shouted. The old man in question was currently shifting the channel on the television non-stop, lazily clicking on the remote in his hand.

"Oh, Naruto. What are you doing here?" he lazily inquired, not even looking away from the television. "You up for more work?"

Naruto scoffed. "You wish. We're here as customers, so serve up!"

Owen perked up at what he had just said. He turned his gaze to Naruto and raised an eyebrow at the girl behind him. "Oh? You brought a date?"

Artemis hadn't bothered to put up an illusion over her form. She was in her most preferred appearance, aged at around eighteen years old. When she had 'interrogated' this man, Owen if she remembered correctly, she had assumed a form aged a bit older than that. She just hoped the slight age difference would be enough for her to not be recognized.

"And who might you be, young lady?" Owen asked with a suspicious amount of interest, but no recognition flared up from his gaze.

 _'He didn't recognize me?'_ Artemis eyed the old man carefully for any signs of recognition and replied, "I'm Selena, Naruto's… friend."

The word _friend_ came out a bit too hesitantly and Owen seemed to have misunderstood that. His eyes bulged out in surprise as he shot a look of disbelief at Naruto.

"No way. How the hell are _you_ dating _her_?"

Naruto recoiled, clearly offended. "Oi, you old fart! What do you mean by that?!"

Owen ignored him and held out his hand for a shake. "I'm Owen. Owen Reeves. Thank you for taking care of my sla- employee."

"Wait! You were about to say slave, you bastard!"

She sighed as she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. And no, mister, we're not dating."

Owen clicked his tongue in dismay and sent another look at Naruto, of pity this time. "Ah, go figure. It's okay, Naruto. You'll get there," he said encouragingly.

"Shut up! I don't even like her, idiot!" he immediately regretted his choice of words and frantically waved apologetically at the woman beside her. "Ah, w-what I mean by that is that, uh, I don't like you _that_ way."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You don't have to explain. I'm fully capable of understanding your nonsense."

Owen laughed. He just knew it would never be boring with Naruto around. He got up from the stool he was sitting on and made his way behind the counter.

"Well, what do you want?"

"We'll be doing a school project here, is that okay with you?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Owen raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Why do it here, though?"

"I might just die if I bring her to my apartment, y'know?" Naruto chuckled nervously, glancing at Artemis, who had already found a place to sit on.

Owen sighed. "Alright, just don't do anything funny, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, old man!"

Artemis breathed out in relief. The man doesn't seem to remember what had happened before. She cautiously listened to their conversation until Naruto started walking to her table.

"The old man agreed to let us do our project here," he said. "So, you ready?"

* * *

A few hours into their(Naruto's) grind, the door suddenly flew open. The three currently inside shifted their gaze to the entrance as two roughed up kids, a boy and a girl, made their way inside.

"H-help!" the male cried out before stumbling onto the floor.

Owen immediately ran over to them to assist them. Naruto got over his surprise and stood up to join his boss. The two kids were riddled with bruises, and looked as if they hadn't eaten in days. Their hairs and malnourished bodies looked unkempt, clothes were ripped and torn up in some places.

Artemis widened her eyes. At first glance, she could already tell that these two were not mere mortals. She focused her godly sight on them a bit more and found her answer. Two demigods.

"Easy now, let's do it slowly." Owen carried the male demigod to a table, and saw that his left ankle was a dark purple. It had been dislocated.

Naruto supported the female as he slowly led him to their table. Artemis moved to help him and gently took the girl's arms into her shoulders. As soon as she did, the girl fainted from what she assumed to be exhaustion.

"Woah, woah," Naruto exclaimed. He swiftly caught the girl before she face-planted into the hardwood floor and carefully placed him on the table. He shot an exasperated look at Artemis and sighed.

"Well, this just turned into an interesting all-nighter."

Artemis frowned and crossed her arms. "These are demigods, Naruto," she said. "And ones that haven't reached camp yet."

"Demigods? Camp? What? " Naruto frowned. "More importantly, where's their godly parent? Are they not watching over their kids?"

"Its… complicated."

"Naruto! I need your help here," Owen shouted from across the room, a couple of ice packs and a duffel bag of what appeared to be medical supplies.

The blonde swiftly made his way to the old man's side and observed the boy laid on the table. "Holy shit, what happened to him?"

"His ankle is dislocated. We need to try to set it back to its original position," Owen answered in such a professional tone that Naruto was taken aback for a bit.

"Isn't it better for us to drive them to the hospital?" Naruto asked, worry taking over his features. He briefly glanced at Artemis, who had made her way to his side, and crouched next took Owen as he carefully observed the boy's foot.

"We can't. I can't. Hold him still," he answered, taking out what appeared to be a splint from the duffel bag to his side. "There doesn't seem to be any complications with his veins or nerves. I'll be setting the bone back into place."

"Okay, I'm holding him down."

Owen gently grabbed his foot and began to slowly and gently contort it back into place, pained cries from the half-unconscious kid sounding out as he shifted erratically, with Naruto holding him down to prevent any sudden movements that might disrupt the operation.

Artemis observed the kid a bit more, trying to figure out which god sired him. His sandy-blonde hair, blue eyes, and the structure of his face screamed Hermes to her. _'I should inform Hermes of this development.'_

"Alright, it's set. Now help me wrap this around his foot. Here, hold this," Naruto and Owen worked together to tend to the kid's foot. After that, Owen reached into his bag to pull out a medicine container. He opened it and took a tablet. He stood up and gently opened the kid's mouth before popping it inside.

Owen sighed. "Alright, watch him. I'll tend to the girl next."

Naruto nodded in confirmation. "Alright."

Artemis and Naruto watched as Owen turned and made his way to the girl. Naruto turned to Artemis and asked, "Can't you do something to help them?"

"I don't have to, Naruto," she answered. Naruto furrowed his brow at her answer before she continued. "Your employer seems to have already given this boy a tablet of nectar."

"Nectar?"

"The drink of the gods. Mortals cannot drink it, but demigods can. It helps them heal," she elaborated further. "I wonder how he knew that, though…"

Artemis was beginning to grow even more suspicious of Owen. _'It all adds up'_ , she thought.

Owen had said that runaway kids would occasionally find their way to his bar, and that he would take care of them. She could now say that these runaway kids were definitely demigods. It didn't seem like he was clear-sighted, though, nor does he seem to have any prior knowledge of the mythical world. Now that she paid more attention, the bar seemed to be saturated with divine warmth. A warmth that can only be from one deity.

It seems Owen was not as ordinary as she had thought.

* * *

Owen gently lowered the girl's head to the pillow he had set before sighing and standing up. He turned to leave the room but saw Naruto and the lady he was with, Selena, blocking the doorway. They looked at him questioningly, which made him slump his shoulders and nodded at the unspoken inquiry.

"So, I guess I should explain," he began, taking a seat to the wooden chair beside the bed. "Go ahead, ask."

Naruto looked at Artemis before she stepped forward. "Why didn't you take them to the hospital instead?"

Owen scratched his cheek and answered, "Guidelines from the organization funding me."

"The Hearth Charity one?" Naruto frowned in confusion. Is that organization somehow connected to the mythical world? Just who is Owen? These were the questions floating in his mind right now.

"Yeah, that one. In exchange for their help with the finances, I was to accommodate any and all kids that might come across this place. I was to do it by myself."

Artemis raised an eyebrow at what she had just heard. _'That all but confirms my suspicions. Hestia's backing him.'_

"And that tablet you gave him?"

"It's from them as well. I was ordered to never use it on anyone but the kids. Not even myself."

Artemis understood now. Owen didn't have an inkling as to what he was actually doing, or who he was helping. He was a pure soul. A kind man who would do anything to help if given the opportunity. Maybe it was why Hestia seemed to have taken an interest in becoming his patron.

The bar was Hestia's in every way. With Owen as her instrument, she would presumably guide demigods there to rest and recuperate before continuing their journey to camp. The homey warmth and safety that the bar provided helped these demigods feel like they can trust Owen. This was all happening without Owen ever knowing. He didn't seem too keen to delve deeper into it, though.

She looked at Naruto and nodded, mentally saying to him, ' _I'll tell you later._ '

He gave a look of understanding and walked to Owen's side before placing his hand on the old man's shoulders comfortingly.

"You should rest, old man," he said. "We'll watch them for you, don't worry."

Owen sighed and eyed the two kids before nodding. "Alright. If I'm not up before the sun rises, wake me up."

"Will do."

Owen stood up and went out the doorway. Artemis moved aside to let him pass, noting the grateful gaze Owen sent her before he disappeared into the hallway.

She looked at Naruto, who was observing the sleeping demigods. She made her way to his side and did the same.

"So, who do you think their parents are?" He asked, eyes clouded over in thought.

"The boy's father is Hermes, of that I'm sure. The girl though," she took this time to observe the girl on the bed. She had black hair, freckles splattered on her face, and wore an all-black goth-style outfit. "I'm not entirely sure, but…"

She focused her senses to feel out this demigod's blood, and what she felt made her recoil in shock.

"Fates, no. The prophecy…" She muttered.

Naruto worriedly looked at her and frowned. "Oi, you okay? What's wrong?"

"The girl… She's a child of Zeus," she answered. "Her existence means that the Great Prophecy is now in effect."

"'Great Prophecy'?"

She looked at him with grave and uncertain eyes before she recited the prophecy:

_A half-blood of the eldest gods_

_Shall reach sixteen against all odds_

_And see the world in endless sleep_

_The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap_

_A single choice shall end his days_

_Olympus to preserve or raze_

'A fellow 'Child of the Prophecy', huh?' Naruto clicked his tongue. "She fits the bill, I guess?"

"She does. Zeus has broken his oath, and the prophecy will now unfold if this child continues to live." Artemis massaged her temple. This was big. The council would surely want to hear this.

"Okay, you're making it sound like she's better off dead," Naruto narrowed his eyes. He would not allow that to happen. If any of these 'gods' tried to kill these kids, to hell with Kurama's plan. He'd destroy them all without mercy.

"That's what the other gods would want," Artemis answered carefully. She could see Naruto's probing of her intentions.

"And you? What do you think should happen?"

Artemis hesitated before sighing. What did she want to happen? If it were up to her, she would offer to let the girl join her Hunt. That way, she would never age to sixteen, and the prophecy will be prevented from ever taking place. The problem with that, though, is that the girl is in no condition to decide right now. Which only left one more thought in her mind.

"…I think you should protect her."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"I'm a goddess, Naruto. I'm bound by the ancient laws," she answered. "As much as I would like to help her, I cannot. But you can."

Naruto mulled on that thought. It would definitely be easy to protect her, and the boy with her, but what would happen once he returns home? Would Kurama consent to this? ' _Damn fox, of all the times you could've chosen to sleep, why now?_ '

He shook his head. They were kids, dealt with a bad hand by destiny. He would make sure that they never experienced the pain he had to go through alone on his journey to fulfilling what was expected of him as the Child of the Prophecy.

"I'll do it," he said resolutely. "I'll protect them."

The determination and fierce resolve in his voice stunned Artemis. She couldn't fathom why Naruto would so easily offer to help these two kids that he didn't even know. How can a man be so selfless?

"Think on it a bit more, Naruto. On top of the monsters the other gods will surely unleash upon them, demigods attract monsters by their scent alone. You will have to fight them off if you wish to protect them," she warned.

"I will not leave them alone out there, especially if you're planning on telling your fellow gods about her!" he retorted, the finality in his voice leaving no room for argument.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she muttered softly, slight guilt marring her features. "I have my duties to Olympus. I cannot withhold this information from them."

Naruto shook his head and offered a look of understanding. "Don't apologize. I know, Artemis. I understand."

"Thank you."

"Although, I was thinking that maybe," he hesitantly spoke, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Just maybe, you could help me out from time to time?"

It wasn't like he couldn't protect them on his own. He was more than enough to do so, in fact. But Naruto felt that with the help of the moon goddess, he would be able to lay low a bit more while also not sacrificing the safety of his new wards. He trusted Artemis, and her help with this task would definitely be something Kurama would approve of. He just didn't know if she would accept.

"I will," she answered, surprising both Naruto and herself. Artemis didn't know what came over her to accept his request so willingly, even if she knew that if her father ever finds out about it, she would definitely be punished. She also didn't know why she felt an immense amount of relief when Naruto smiled at her response and said, "Thank you, Artemis."

What she did know was that she was doing the right thing. She was sure of it.

* * *

"Ares," a disembodied voice rang out around the War God's room, waking him from his slumber. "How are you, grandson?"

"…" Ares didn't respond. He didn't move at all. Sweat pooled in his forehead as a hellish miasma of entropy filled the atmosphere of the room. In the center, the miasma coalesced into a glowing visage.

"Well?"

Ares gritted his teeth. "We may have a problem, grandfather."

"Oh? Do tell."

* * *

**AN: Hello, I am back.**

**I've finished the piece of code that was assigned to me, so I'm finally free to write. This chapter is a bit short because I sliced the original chapter 6 into two to make it less all over the place in terms of progression. I also haven't taken the time proof-read this chapter so yeah, hopefully there's not too many errors and inconsistencies I may have overlooked.**

**Also before anyone calls out the fact that Artemis actually prefers being aged at around thirteen years old, I know that. I was referring to her appearance, not her preferred age.**

**Thank you for reading!**


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